Former Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, is dead.
Uduaghan reportedly died on Monday morning, October 19, 2026, at a hospital in Abuja after a period of illness, according to a family source who confirmed his death to Channels Television.
Born on October 22, 1954, he died on October 19, 2026, three days shy of his 72nd birthday.
The source described his death as a devastating loss to the family and the many people whose lives he touched during his years in public service.
As of the time of filing this report, the Delta State Government had yet to issue an official statement on the death of the former governor.
Uduaghan, a medical doctor by profession, governed Delta State from 2007 to 2015, succeeding Chief James Ibori. He completed two terms of eight years, during which his administration pursued programmes in healthcare, infrastructure development and other sectors of the state’s economy.
Before becoming governor, Uduaghan held key positions in the state government. He served as Commissioner for Health between 1999 and 2003 and subsequently as Secretary to the State Government from 2003 to 2007.
His appointment as Commissioner for Health placed him at the centre of the state’s health administration during the early years of the return to democratic rule in 1999. He later became a prominent figure in the political administration that preceded his emergence as governor.
After leaving office in 2015, Uduaghan remained involved in politics and public affairs in Delta State and at the national level. He was also associated with political realignments in the state and the wider South-South region.
His years in office coincided with a period of significant public debate over the management of Delta State’s oil revenues, infrastructure development, healthcare delivery and the distribution of development projects across its three senatorial districts.
Uduaghan’s death marks the loss of a former state chief executive who spent several years in public service, first as a medical professional and later as a senior government official and governor.
Further details surrounding his death, funeral arrangements and official reactions were still being awaited as of Monday.
More to follow.