ABUJA — Nigeria’s political landscape was plunged into grief on Wednesday as Senator Okey Ezea, the Labour Party (LP) lawmaker representing Enugu North Senatorial District, passed away at age 62 following a brief illness, his family confirmed in a somber announcement.
The 10th Senate’s only steadfast LP representative from Enugu State—renowned for resisting defection pressures to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)—succumbed late Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at approximately 11:07 p.m. in a private hospital in Lagos, according to a statement by his son, Jideofor Ezea. Earlier reports of his death in London or the UK appear to stem from prior medical travels, including treatment in Germany, but the family clarified the final moments occurred in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Born August 11, 1963, in Itchi, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, Ezea—affectionately known as “Ideke”—stormed into national politics in 2023, defeating then-incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s preferred candidate in a stunning upset that marked his senatorial debut. 6 His tenure was marked by principled advocacy: He chaired the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions at the 10th Assembly’s outset, later serving as Vice Chairman of committees on Housing and Urban Development, Cooperation and Integration in Africa and NEPAD, and Culture and Creative Economy.
Prior to the Senate, Ezea held sway as Chairman of the Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo, Taraba State, blending his medical background with a fierce commitment to public service. His unyielding loyalty to the LP amid widespread crossovers from Enugu lawmakers earned him admiration as a “voice of integrity” for the Nsukka zone.
Tributes poured in swiftly, casting Ezea as a “man with a heart of gold” whose absence would echo profoundly. Elder statesman Chief Nkem Ossai, a close associate, lamented the void in Enugu North, saying the news had “plunged Nsukka and the entire zone into mourning.” Enugu State House Assembly member Malachy Okey Onyechi (Nsukka West) echoed the sentiment: “Nsukka has lost a voice… His untimely death has plunged not only the Nsukka Zone but the entire Enugu State into mourning.”
Former Abia Governor and Senate Chief Whip Senator Orji Uzor Kalu described the loss as “heartbreaking, devastating, and personally painful,” recalling their “close and sincere bond” forged in mutual respect and shared Catholic faith. “His death is a painful blow that has left me personally devastated,” Kalu wrote in an emotional message, extending condolences to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Enugu’s people. “The Senate has lost a principled voice, one who contributed with clarity, courage, and unshakable conviction.”
Kogi Central’s Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a fellow opposition stalwart, mourned a “gentle and wise colleague” whose prayers sustained her through “darkest moments. “You were a good man! Wise and gentle… I will miss you in chambers,” she posted, adding that Enugu North and Kogi Central “honour your senator and mourn with you.”
The Senate, gripped by sorrow, suspended proceedings briefly on Wednesday to observe a minute of silence, with formal valedictories anticipated in the coming days. Ezea is survived by his wife, Chioma, and four children, including Jideofor, who implored prayers for the family “during this difficult time.”
As flags fly at half-mast over the National Assembly, Ezea’s legacy—a blend of resilience, ethical fortitude, and regional advocacy—stands as a clarion call for the opposition’s enduring fight in Nigeria’s fractious democracy.
