Abia APGA 2023 governorship candidate Gregory Ibe dies

Gregory Ibe, founder of Gregory University, Uturu, and a candidate for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2023 Abia State governorship election, has died.

His family announced his death on Monday, according to a report by The Punch newspaper.

The announcement came in a statement from the royal family of Cyril Ibe of Okwelube I, Amaokwe Achara Autonomous Community, Isuikwuato Local Government Area, Abia State, the newspaper said

The family said Mr Ibe, a professor, died after battling health challenges, describing him as a man whose life was dedicated to education, philanthropy and service to humanity.

Mr Ibe was an academic, administrator, industrialist and philanthropist who founded Gregory University, Uturu, a private university known for its emphasis on research, medical science, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

He also operated businesses, including Skill ‘G’ Limited and Innov8 Hub, through which he supplied laboratory and technical equipment to tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

In politics, he contested the 2023 Abia governorship election on the APGA platform, campaigning on a technology-driven vision to develop the state into an industrial hub.

Otti mourns

Reacting to his death, Abia State Governor Alex Otti expressed sadness over the loss, describing the deceased as an illustrious indigene whose contributions to education and research had benefited the state and the country.

In a condolence statement issued on Monday by his media adviser, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Mr Otti said he had hoped the professor would recover from the illness he had battled for some time.

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The governor said Mr Ibe’s passing was particularly painful given his continued contributions to education and research.

He urged the deceased’s family, friends, and associates to take comfort in the life he lived and the legacy he left behind.

Mr Otti, speaking on behalf of his family, the Abia State Government and the people of the state, extended condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for the repose of the professor’s soul.

The family said Mr Ibe was survived by six children and seven grandchildren, as well as numerous mentees and beneficiaries.

It thanked members of the public for their expressions of sympathy and appealed for privacy as arrangements for his funeral were being concluded.