The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, Udo Ekpenyong, has reportedly died from COVID-19 complications.
An official of the Akwa Ibom State government who did not want his name mentioned confirmed to Premium Times that Ekpenyong died on Monday in Uyo.
The official said the chairman died of COVID-19 but this could not be independently verified.
Another source close to the Akwa Ibom government also confirmed the death of Ekpenyong to Naija News on Tuesday morning.
When asked by our correspondent if the PDP chairman died of COVID-19, the source told Naija News that he could not confirm what killed Ekpenyong as “every death is now related to COVID-19.”
Late Mr Ekpenyong, before his election as the state PDP chairman last year was the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state. He was known to be a strong ally of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Recall that Akwa Ibom State lost two other prominent figures recently, a former Chief of Air Staff, Nsikak Edouk who died of renal failure, and a former military governor of the state, Idongesit Nkanga who died of COVID-19.