The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has lamented that death has been unkind to the 10th Senate following the passing of Senator Okechukwu Ezea, who represented Enugu North until his death.
Akpabio spoke on Tuesday night at a tribute service held in honour of the late senator at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja. He noted that the 10th Senate had lost three serving lawmakers within a short period, describing the trend as a painful reminder that death unkind to 10th Senate has become a recurring reality.
Those who have died include Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South), Senator Godiya Akwashiki (Nasarawa), and Senator Okechukwu Ezea (Enugu North).
Akpabio said, “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.
“One of our departed colleagues, a brilliant and committed senator, worked tirelessly until the very end, always arriving early, always asking questions, always eager to contribute. These are memories that will never fade.
“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.
“Yet, even in such moments, we are reminded that God has a time for everything—a time to live and a time to return home.
“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.
“We must take care of one another, raise our children with love, promote peace among our people, and refuse to be divided.”
In her tribute, the Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Senator Nenadi Usman, described the late lawmaker as a principled politician who remained loyal to the party until his death.
She said, “Despite pressures from various quarters, he remained committed to the Labour Party on whose platform he was elected.
“At a time when others elected on the platform of the party defected to other political parties, Senator Ezea stood firm.
“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.
“It was only after his demise that I learnt that his bond with the Labour Party predated the 2023 elections, when many people joined the party due to the prevailing political wave.
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“Senator Ezea had been the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu State in 2007, where he put up a strong showing in that election.”
Also paying tribute, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, condoled with the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased and urged his children to take comfort in the legacy and good name their father left behind, despite the painful reality that death unkind to 10th Senate has taken another of its members.
Dignitaries at the event included former Senate President Ken Nnamani, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator Victor Umeh, and former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, among others.