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Akpabio, Obi, Nnamani, others pay tribute to late Enugu senator

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Former Anambra Governor, Peter Obi exchanging pleasantries with Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio and some other notable lawmakers at the Service of Songs held in memory of Late Senator Okey Ezea in Abuja... Photo Credit: Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis

Prominent political leaders, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a former Anambra State governor Peter Obi and ex-Senate President Ken Nnamani, on Tuesday night paid glowing tributes to the late Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial District, Okey Ezea, describing him as a principled lawmaker and loyal party man.

They spoke during separate condolence messages at a Service of Songs held in his honour at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja.

Senator Ezea, a member of the 10th Senate, died in November 2025.

In a statement signed by his son, Jideofor Ezea, the family said the lawmaker died at a private hospital in Lagos at about 11:07 pm on Tuesday after a brief illness.

Until his death, Ezea was regarded as one of the outspoken lawmakers from the South-East and a prominent figure in the Red Chamber.

Speaking at the event, Akpabio described the senator’s death as painful, noting that the National Assembly had lost several lawmakers in recent times.

He said, “Nobody would want to contest an election to be a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, only to die. Just as the news of Senator Ezea’s death was received by the entire community and his family as a shock, we too were in shock when informed. But we thank God that he left behind people who uphold the virtues and ideals that he stood for.

“For the Senate, we cannot be consoled because the last two years have been very tumultuous for us. We lost three senators in quick succession. We lost a very eminent Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in the United States. He wasn’t sick. He left us, went to London and did a live stream while his children were seated at the airports in London.

“Then the next day, his wife called to announce his demise.

“So, it’s a lesson to the rest of us that we should take life easy, even in politics. We should try our best to live in peace with God. Senator Ezea was a very good legislator. His contributions on the floor of the Senate were magnificent. He was always impeccably dressed most times in very good suits. But death comes when it comes. So on behalf of the 10th Senate, please accept our condolences.”

Obi, who also addressed Ezea’s children, said their father lived a good and consistent life.

He said, “It is difficult to speak on this occasion considering what your father represents. But I want you to be assured that your father lived a good life. As I said when I was coming here, if we had five per cent of Nigerian politicians, which is where I belong, living their lives like your father and in some kind of consistent life, Nigerians would have a good life.

“We cannot question God. Just know that your father lived a good life. If God wanted to take bad people in Nigeria, I am sure he would be shocked at the amount of supply because we have a lot of bad people here. But he decided to take the best among us. And he has been taking the best.”

Earlier, the Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, described Ezea as a loyal and consistent party member.

She said, “While I may not lay claim to having known Senator Okey Ezea for a long time, the few moments we shared together in the Labour Party revealed a man of remarkable consistency, strong principles, and deep passion for his people,” she said.

“Even on his sickbed, barely hours before his passing, Senator Ezea never wavered in his commitment to the cause of his people, despite the grave health challenges he faced.

“When I learnt the following day that he had passed on, I was deeply moved, and indeed humbled, by such uncommon passion and love for one’s people. Even as death beckoned, Senator Ezea stood tall in defence of Enugu State.”

She said the party honoured what she described as Ezea’s last wish by appointing an Enugu indigene as its National Vice Chairman (South-East).

“For us in the Labour Party, it is beyond doubt that Senator Ezea will be sorely missed in a very special way, particularly because of his unwavering love and loyalty to the party,” Usman added.

Chairman of the occasion, Ken Nnamani, described the late senator as a determined politician.

“Ideke tried his hands on Enugu governorship on several occasions. He was never tired of anything he set his hands on. He knew when to talk and keep quiet,” he said.

Also speaking, Senator Victor Umeh said death was inevitable, describing Ezea as a humble man.

“Death is not something anybody wants to embrace. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. But every life must taste death. All of us are corpses with postponed dates.

“Our brother was a great man who had impacted a lot of lives. Go to his community and constituency to understand his level of humility. In the Senate, we know him as a gentleman

Politics

PDP to screen Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday as its sole Presidential aspirant For 2027 race

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has scheduled to screen former president Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow, Tuesday, aMay 19, as the lone presidential candidate of party.

According to a statement from the PDP faction backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi have been listed among a committee of 14 members to screen Jonathan described as a lone candidate by the party.

Other members of the committee were Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenin, Dr. Abdul Bulama, Dr. Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr. Sunday Solarium and Chief Anicho Okoro, who would serve as administrative secretary of the committee.

Last week, the national Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that former president Jonathan has successfully registered as a member of the party in the fresh digital registration exercise directed by INEC.

The PDP faction also announced that it was set to screen 748 house of representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, and 112 governorship aspirants.

The screening committee would screen 2122 states houses of assembly aspirants. The exercise will commence tomorrow, Tuesday in different states.

According to the statement, the screening exercise would take place nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

The statement said the Interim National Working Committee (iNWC) has also released the names of members to serve on the Screening Committees and Screening Appeal Panels.

It added that the publication of the screening details “is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.”

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Oshiomhole wins Edo APC senatorial primaries unopposed

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A former governor and incumbent Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, along with his counterpart Senator Joe Ikpea, sailed through the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Edo unopposed, and securing their tickets without a single vote cast against them.

Also Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama emerged the winner in the APC primary for the Edo South senatorial district.

Ogbeide-Ihama won in the seven local government areas of Edo South in the results announced by the Chairman of APC National Assembly Primary Election, Muhammed Ajana at the Urokpota Hall, Benin.

He polled 27,154 votes while his opponents, Senator Neda Imasuen, got 13,580, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got 6785.

The elections were hitch-free in Edo North and Edo Central, where there was no contest against the incumbents, Senators Oshiomhole of Edo North and Ikpea of Edo Central, respectively.

Ajana at the Urokpota Hall said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards where elections were conducted by members of the committee.

He said, “There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the Returning officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.

“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat.”

However, it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South Senatorial race. He claimed to have clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuen.

It was claimed that the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, officially declared Ize-Iyamu the winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.

On his part, the senator representing the district condemned the exercise describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.

Imasuen spoke while reacting to events at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa where he said he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.

The lawmaker accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.

He said, “There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this.”

He said the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.

Imasuen claimed that some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.

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Ajuloopin Suffers Setback as Home Ward Rejects Third Term Return Bid in Kwara APC Primary

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The re-election bid of the member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, popularly known as Ajuloopin, suffered a major setback on Friday after party members in his home ward, Omu-Aran Ward 1, boycotted the All Progressives Congress APC House of Representatives primary.

According to party stakeholders and observers present at the exercise, no valid election took place in the ward after members refused to participate in protest against what they described as the lawmaker’s poor performance after three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.

Sources in the ward said efforts by some political figures and loyalists to persuade members to back Ajuloopin’s ambition failed, with party faithful insisting they would not endorse what they termed an attempt to impose his candidacy again.

The boycott led to a breakdown of the electoral process in Omu-Aran Ward 1, with many members staying away from the polls entirely. Stakeholders have called on the APC Electoral Committee to disregard any result purportedly presented from the ward, arguing that no credible primary was conducted there.

Political observers in the constituency described the development as a significant blow to Ajuloopin, noting that the rejection came from his own ward and among constituents most familiar with his record.

Preliminary reports from other parts of Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas, where voting proceeded, also indicated weak support for the incumbent. Many party members were said to have voted for alternative aspirants.

APC stakeholders have urged the party leadership to review reports from affected wards and accept only authentic and verifiable results to preserve the credibility of the primaries. They stressed that internal democracy was critical to the party’s prospects in the constituency and warned against imposing unpopular candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

With tension rising across the federal constituency, party faithful said the leadership must listen to grassroots members and allow delegates and supporters to determine the outcome of the primaries.

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