The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has reminded that peace and unity are essential for national development and, as such, should be prioritized.

Senator Akpabio made the passionate appeal while addressing mourners at the night of tribute, organized for late Senator Okechukwu Ezea at the Ecumenical Center, Abuja, on Tuesday.

Akpabio, who also spoke on behalf of the 10th Senate, said they have come to commiserate with the family on the occasion of a great loss.

He described the late senator as a passionate man with a great desire for the campaign to create Adada State.

Senator Ezea departed from the Senate and will be a great loss and will be missed.

And for the family, the 10th Senate mourns with you. “I can tell you that none goes into politics to die, but as God will have it, he took his part. Okey Ezea is a man who stands for the truth.

For Enugu North, I pray that God gives you a good replacement”.

Meanwhile, Senator Akpabio reflected on the sudden losses recorded in the Senate in 2025, saying, “The 10th Senate within a quick succession, lost three senators in 2025 including late Senator Ifeanyi UBA, Senator Godia Akwashiki, and Senator Ezea

“So for you, the family, I want you to know that God has time for everything. I can tell you that life is a stage that takes effect when it comes. This period is for a sobber reflection and a lesson to all of us. We shouldn’t discriminate, we should love one another, and the late Senator is a loving man.”

Chairman of the main organizing committee for the burial, Senator Victor Umeh, said, “We are all working coups, waiting for a date.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Night of tribute, Former Senate President Senator Ken Nnamani, described the late senator as exemplary to be missed by the entire Nation and Enugu state in general.

The 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, while eulogizing the late Senator, stated that Nigerians should imbibe good neighborliness like the late Senator. ” We all need to do good for the unity and development of this country. “If everyone contributes to good work for the development of our nation, Nigeria will be good.

“Senator Okey Ezea is a man who is passionate about the development of the Nsukka people in Enugu state. He is always reminding me of that each time I call him, but I also tell him that I am part of the Nsukka people since I have so many of my investments over there.

Former Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige, while taking his turn, reminded that the late Senator was an advocate of the triangular equilibrium of leadership in Enugu state. He said the good Lord will grant him an internal life.

Also speaking, National Chairman of the Labour Party Senator Nenadi Usman, “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.

“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.

“A particular incident that occurred on 17th November, 2025, just hours before he passed on 18th November, deserves special mention. “At the time, our party, the Labour Party, was reorganising the composition of its Interim National Working Committee.

During the process, a minor controversy arose over which position was zoned to Enugu State. As the highest-ranking member of the party from the state at the time, the party deferred to Senator Ezea for guidance on the choice of candidate.

“Even after we were informed that he had been moved to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital where he later passed, Senator Ezea, in the midst of his physical distress, still found the strength to speak to us and clearly communicate his preference regarding the position.

“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. It was for this reason that I informed my Exco that Senator Ezea’s last wish amounted to a dying declaration that must be respected. Consequently, an Enugu indigene was appointed as the National Vice Chairman, South East, of the Labour Party.

“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. 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. Senator Ezea had been the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu State in 2007, where he put up a strong showing in the election of that era. Whether this long-standing relationship with the party informed his decision to remain faithful to it until his last breath is not for us to interrogate today.

“As we continue to mourn him, I urge us to do so as Christians, with the assurance that he has been called home by God. I also call on all who believe in his progressive ideals, especially politicians, to imbibe the virtues we have gathered here to extol. There is no better way to mourn him, and no greater way to immortalize the late senator’s legacy.”

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has reminded that peace and unity are essential for national development and, as such, should be prioritized. (The Sun)