Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi has described late elder statesman, Chukwuemeka Ezeife as a “father figure” whose words of wisdom, advice, and encouragement greatly impacted him positively.
Obi, a former Anambra governor, said this in a Friday statement mourning his predecessor, who died aged 85 on Thursday.
The statement read, “I received with sadness and shock the report of the death of an exceptional patriot, an elder statesman, and the First Civilian Governor of New Anambra State, Chief Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Okwadike Igboukwu, last night.
“He was a de-tribalized Nigerian nationalist who remained dedicated to the cause of good governance in Nigeria and contributed immensely to deepening the democratic ideals of our dear nation.
“To me, he was a father figure whose words of wisdom, advice, and encouragement greatly impacted me positively. In his death, Nigeria has lost a great soul whose kind heart and wise counsel are needed at this time of our travails as a nation.
“May God who called him home grant him eternal rest, and grant his family, and all of us who mourn him, the fortitude to bear his sad irreplaceable loss.”