Chief (Comrade) Sheriff Mulade, the National Democratic Party (NDP) candidate for Warri Federal Constituency, has paid tribute to former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, describing his death as a major loss to Delta State, the Itsekiri Nation and the Niger Delta.

In a statement issued on behalf of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), which he coordinates, Mulade said Uduaghan died in the early hours of Monday, October 19, aged 71—three days before his 72nd birthday.

He described the former governor as “the fall of an Iroko” and “the exit of a political colossus,” saying his legacy of public service would be remembered across the state and the country.

Mulade traced Uduaghan’s career from medicine to public office, and recalled that Uduaghan served as Delta State Commissioner for Health from 1999 to 2003 and Secretary to the State Government from 2003 to 2007, before becoming governor, serving two terms from 2007 until he left office in 2015.

The tribute highlighted Uduaghan administration’s three-point agenda of peace and security, human capital development, and infrastructure, as well as its “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative, which promoted investment in agriculture, tourism, entertainment, small and medium-sized enterprises, and industrialisation.

He also credited Uduaghan with supporting peace-building efforts in the Niger Delta and with investments in roads, aviation, healthcare, education and youth development. 

According to him, among the projects and programmes cited were Asaba International Airport, Delta State University Teaching Hospital in Oghara, free maternal healthcare and healthcare for children under five, model schools, and postgraduate scholarships for first-class graduates.

Mulade said CEPEJ would remember Uduaghan as a peace-loving leader who welcomed civil society organisations and youth groups, adding that the former governor had personally supported him and championed peace advocacy and environmental justice in the Niger Delta.

The CEPEJ coordinator extended condolences to Uduaghan’s wife, Deaconess Roli Nere Uduaghan; his children; former governor Chief James Onanefe Ibori; Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori; the Uduaghan Royal Family of Abigborodo; and the Itsekiri Nation.

“You came, you saw, you touched lives, and you conquered,” Mulade said. “You fought a good fight. You finished your course. You kept the faith.”

He prayed for the repose of Uduaghan’s soul and concluded: “Goodnight, Your Excellency. Goodnight, the Talk and Do Governor. Goodnight, Ewo of Warri Kingdom.”