The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Peter Obi, has expressed shock over the death of a former governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife.

Ezeife, an Igbo leader and elder statesman, died on Thursday at the age of 85 at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja

Reacting, Peter Obi, who is also a former governor of the state, described the deceased as a father figure who had impacted his life positively.

In a statement posted on his official X handle, Obi said Ezeife “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”.