A former Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife has d!ed at the age of 85.

A statement released by his family, said the elder statesman Ezeife d!ed on Thursday at about 6:00pm.

The statement reads, “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.

“This sad event took place yesterday at 6 pm at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja.

“More details about the deceased and the arrangements for his state burial will be announced later.”

Ezeife was elected governor of Anambra on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in Nigeria’s third republic, in 1992.

He served as governor until Sani Abacha, an ex-military ruler, seized power at the centre in 1993.

Ezeife obtained a BSc in Economics from the University College Ibadan and a master’s and PhD degrees from Harvard University.

He was also appointed special adviser on political matters by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo when Nigeria commenced its fourth republic in 1999.