The senator died at a private hospital in Lagos State on Tuesday, according to a statement on Wednesday by his first son, Jideofor Ezea, on behalf of the family.
A Nigerian senator, Okey Ezea, is dead.
The Senator representing Enugu North District, Okey Ezea, is dead.
Mr Ezea died at a private hospital in Lagos State on Tuesday, according to a statement on Wednesday by his first son, Jideofor Ezea, on behalf of the family.
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"With profound grief, the family of Distinguished Senator Okey Ezea, who represented Enugu North Senatorial District in the 10th Senate, announces his passing," Jideofor said in the statement.
He said the 62-year-old senator passed on at about 11:07 p.m. on Tuesday in Lagos State after "a brief illness."
The lawmaker's son appealed to Nigerians to commit the bereaved family in prayers during "this difficult time."
"Until his passing, he remained the only federal lawmaker from Enugu State elected on the Labour Party platform in 2023 who, on principle, refused to defect to the ruling party - standing firm against the pressure to ditch the party that sponsored him to the Senate," he said.
Okey Ezea at a glance
Born on 11 August 1963, Mr Ezea hailed from Itchi, a community in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State.
He began his political career in 2007 when he unsuccessfully contested in the Enugu State governorship election of that year under the platform of the LP.
The senator again unsuccessfully contested in the state's governorship election in 2015 under the platform of All Progressives Congress.
By 2018, the then-President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as the Chairperson of Governing Board, Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo, Taraba State.
He held the position until 2022 before resigning to rejoin the LP and was subsequently elected senator for Enugu North District during the 2023 general election under the LP's platform.
Mr Ezea defeated the then-Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State during the senatorial election in the district in 2023.
