Speaking at a church service in Abuja On Tuesday as part of activities marking the commencement of Anenih's funeral rites, Jonathan revealed that he was devastated when he received the news of his death.

"When I got go the hospital, he was lying in the bed, he struggled to explain to me what happened and in fact he summoned the doctor to explain to me.

"The doctor had to show me the scan of the brain and told me of the injury he sustained when he fell and that he was bleeding in the brain, but he gave me hope that the bleeding appears to be stopping and if that happened, there is hope that he would be sustained and the next step was taking him out of the country for a follow up.

"I was hopeful. The next day, I travelled back to Bayelsa state, but after few days when I made enquiry, I was told that he had been moved to an Intensive Care Unit. For five minutes I couldn't say anything because the condition I saw him was critical and if he has been moved to ICU that means things were getting bad.

"Of course, before I returned to Abuja, one of the saddest story that came was that he had left us. It was a terrible story for people like us. He mentored me as his son until he left us."

Jonathan praised the former minister of work saying he was one of the few Nigerian that played politics of ideologies and commitment.

He added that despite the unpleasant things done to him as a member of the PDP, Anenih served the party with his all till his last day.

Late Chief Tony Anenih died at the age of 85 on Sunday, October 28, 2018, at an Abuja hospital where he was receiving treatment. He will be buried at his country home in Uromi, Edo State on December 1, 2018.