PROMINENT Anambra businessman and politician Chief Okey Ezeibe, known by the chieftaincy title Omeluora na Awgbu, has died suddenly in a hotel room in Owerri, Imo State. He was 66.
Mr Ezeibe, who held the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), was the founder and chief executive of Legacy Motors (Legacy Urban Peony Services Limited) and a former President and Board of Trustees member of the Balogun Business Association (BBA) in Lagos.
According to reports, he had travelled to Imo for a scheduled meeting with the New Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate, Chief Martins Agbaso.
It is understood that Mr Ezeibe was initially due to meet Chief Agbaso for dinner on Saturday, but the meeting was postponed after the NDC candidate travelled to Delta State for another engagement. The two men subsequently agreed to meet over breakfast on Sunday morning.
When Mr Ezeibe failed to appear at the agreed time, his associates went to his hotel room and are said to have found him dead after forcing the door open.
Sources suggested a possible heart attack, although the cause of death had not been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
A Life of Business and Political Connections
Mr Ezeibe was a longstanding friend of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a bond reported to have spanned more than 45 years . In May this year, the former Vice President travelled to Marrakech, Morocco, to chair the wedding of Mr Ezeibe’s son, Muna, who married Cherina, the daughter of former Burkina Faso Prime Minister Lassina Zerbo.
Despite his friendship with Mr Abubakar, reports indicate that Mr Ezeibe had aligned politically with Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, ahead of the 2027 elections.
Until his death, Mr Ezeibe was one of the leading figures within the Balogun Business Association and the wider business community at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex. He was widely regarded as one of the association’s founding figures and played prominent roles in the organisation of Igbo business interests in Lagos.
Tributes and Market Closure
Tributes have poured in from associates and community members. Chief Emeka Alex Duru described Mr Ezeibe as “simplicity personified,” adding that he was “the brain behind the Balogun Business Association”.
Another associate, Sir Ike Abonyi, described his death as “devastating,” recalling him as “such a humble, easy-going man”.
The Balogun Business Association announced that the International Commercial Complex at the Lagos International Trade Fair would remain closed on Monday, 21 September, as a mark of respect . The closure left much of the usually busy market area deserted, with shops locked and trading activities suspended.
Mr Ezeibe hailed from Awgbu in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State. Born on 10 October 1959, he died just weeks before what would have been his 67th birthday .
