Former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, is dead.
He was 85 years old.
The death was announced by the brother of the deceased, the traditional ruler of Oko in Anambra State, Igwe Laz Ekwueme.
He said Ekwueme died at 10:00 p.m. in a London clinic, on Sunday.
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The statement by Igwe Laz Ekwueme reads in part: “Ekwueme family regrets to announce the peaceful passing away of their patriarch, the former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON.
“The sad event occurred at the London Clinic at 10:00 pm on Sunday 19th November 2017.”
Ekwueme was the first elected Vice-President of Nigeria, and was in office from 1979 to 1983.
He was vice president to President Shehu Shagari.
The former vice president slumped at his Enugu residence recently and was taken to Memfys Neurosurgery Hospital Enugu, where he relapsed and went into coma.
He was said to be suffering from chest infection.
Shortly after being briefed about his state of health, President Muhammadu Buhari approved that he should be flown abroad for urgent medical attention and that was done.
He died at the London hospital where he was taken to.
Ekwueme attended the University of London; King’s College; Lagos, Nigerian Law School; University of Strathclyde, University of Washington.
He is the Ide of Oko Kingdom in Anambra State, where his younger brother, Lazarus, is the traditional ruler.
He also had the title of Ide of Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State comprising forty-four (44) towns.
An architect of repute, who started his professional career as an Assistant Architect with a Seattle-based firm, Leo A. Daly and Associates, and also with the London-based firm Nickson and Partners.
He established Ekwueme Associates, Architects and Town Planners, the first indigenous architectural firm in Nigeria.
