Death Has Been Unkind to Us In The Senate – Akpabio
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Senator Okechukwu Ezea, who represented Enugu North, describing the loss as another painful blow to the 10th Senate.
Akpabio made the remarks on Tuesday at a tribute night held in honour of the late lawmaker at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, where he reflected on the heavy toll death has taken on the Senate in recent years.
He recalled that within the last two years, the Senate has lost three serving members in quick succession — Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South), Godiya Akwashiki (Nasarawa), and now Senator Ezea.
“The last two years have been particularly heavy for us in the Senate. We have lost colleagues in quick succession — men of intellect, courage and vision.
Each loss reminds us of our own mortality and the urgency of service,” Akpabio said.
Describing Ezea’s passing as especially painful, the Senate President noted that death struck just as the nation was preparing to enter a new year.
“Just days to the New Year, and only hours before the clock would usher in another chapter, death paid another painful visit.
It was a cruel reminder that time does not wait for any man,” he added.
Akpabio urged politicians to remain grounded in humanity, stressing that lasting legacies are built on compassion and service, not power or wealth.
“History teaches us that what truly endures is not power, position, or wealth, but love, compassion, and the good we do for others.
Politics must never make us lose our humanity.”
Also speaking at the event, Senator Nenadi Usman, Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party, described Ezea as a principled and loyal party man, noting that he remained committed to the Labour Party despite intense pressure.
“Despite pressures from various quarters, he remained committed to the Labour Party on whose platform he was elected… Until his passing, he remained the only Labour Party member in the National Assembly from Enugu State who, on principle, kept faith with the party that entrusted him with that mandate,” she said.
Usman added that Ezea’s loyalty to the party dated back years before the 2023 elections, recalling his 2007 governorship bid under the Labour Party as evidence of his political strength and consistency.
Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi also paid tribute, offering condolences to the late senator’s family, friends, and colleagues, and urging them to draw comfort from the legacy he left behind.
The tribute night drew several prominent figures, including former Senate President Ken Nnamani, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator Victor Umeh, and former Voice of Nigeria Director-General Osita Okechukwu, among others.
