Hon. Ekene was confirmed dead early Tuesday morning by his wife, marking the second death in the House of Representatives within seven days, following the recent passing of his former colleague from Oyo, Olajide Akinremi Jagaban.
The outspoken lawmaker, who had been battling ill-health, was serving as the Chairman of the House Committee on Sports at the time of his death. Ekene had a rich background in sports, having been a former football player and ex-GM of Kada City Football Club and Remo Stars. He won the House of Representatives election under the Labour Party in 2023.
Despite being a first-time representative, his sports background earned him the chairmanship of the House Committee on Sports. Politically, Ekene navigated several parties, including APGA and APC, before joining LP, where he secured his electoral victory in 2023. In 2021, he ran for local government chairman under APC but lost in the primaries and later also lost the APC primaries for the House of Representatives before obtaining the LP ticket.
Ekene’s passing is a significant loss to the House of Representatives and the sports community.
