Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Former Anambra Governor, Passes Away at 85

The Ezeife family revealed that Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, the former governor of Anambra state, has passed away at the age of 85. The distinguished statesman breathed his last on Thursday at 6 pm, as disclosed in a statement by the family.

Rob Ezeife, signing the statement on behalf of the Ezeife Dynasty of Igbo-Ukwu, expressed the family’s sorrow: “On behalf of the Ezeife Dynasty of Igbo-Ukwu, I wish to announce the promotion to glory of our most distinguished son, Okwadike, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, CON, a former federal permanent secretary, the first executive governor of Anambra state, a former political adviser to the president and former presidential aspirant.”

The sad incident occurred at 6 pm on the previous day at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja. The family indicated that further details about the late Ezeife and arrangements for his state burial will be provided in due course.

Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who served as Anambra governor under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during Nigeria’s third republic in 1992, faced a truncated term when the reins of power shifted with the advent of Sani Abacha in 1993.

Educationally distinguished, Ezeife earned a BSc in Economics from the University College Ibadan, and later pursued masters and PhD degrees at Harvard University. In the political landscape, he continued to contribute, serving as a special adviser on political matters to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo during Nigeria’s fourth republic in 1999.