By Editor
The Otolo community, the people of Anambra State and the National Assembly have been thrown into mourning mood following the death early Saturday morning of the Senator, representing Anambra South in the National Assembly, Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah.
The lawmaker was said to have flown to the United Kingdom since he seriously took ill few weeks ago where he died Saturday morning in a London hospital.
His condition reportedly became critical in the past 48 hours while the cause of death is not clear as at press time.
Ubah was elected Senator in 2019 on the platform of the Young Progressive Party, (YPP) and got reelected on that same platform in 2023 before he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), earlier this year to indicate interest in seeking the governorship of Anambra State in next year’s election.
Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah who was born on the 3rd of September 1971 was a Nigerian politician, entrepreneur, and businessman. Ubah was the CEO of Capital Oil (CCO), which he founded in 2001. The company’s facilities and outlets are primarily located in the Southeast and Southwest regions of Nigeria, with one of the largest tank farms for petroleum product storage and distribution in Lagos.
Early Life: Ubah was born as the first son of seven children to Mr. and Mrs. Alphonsus Ubah in Otolo, one of the four quarters of Nnewi in Anambra State, Nigeria. Due to financial constraints, he dropped out of Premiere Academy in Lugbe, Abuja, to learn trade at a young age. He later attended several local and international business courses and seminars in leadership and business management.
Business: The late Ubah began his career as an exporter of motor tires and spare parts, focusing on West African markets including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and DR Congo. He later expanded his business ventures to European countries, including Belgium and the United Kingdom. In 2001, he founded Capital Oil and Gas Limited. He also established The Authority Newspaper, a Nigerian daily newspaper, and also owned Ifeanyi Ubah F.C., a football club in the Nigeria Premier League, which he purchased as Gabros International Football Club.
Politics: In 2014, Ubah contested the Anambra gubernatorial election under the Labour Party (LP) platform but lost. On 24 February 2019, he was declared the winner of the Anambra South Senatorial elections under the Young Progressive Party (YPP) platform, though he later defected to Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Married Life: Ifeanyi Ubah was married to Uchenna Ubah, a Business Administration graduate from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. They had five children together. He also ran the Ifeanyi Ubah Foundation, named after him.
In September 2022, Ubah survived assassination attempt when his convoy was attacked by gunmen in Enugwu-Ukwu, Anambra State which resulted in the deaths of five people, including two policemen.