Ekweremadu clocks 57, vows to retire from Senate in 2023

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Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu says he will retire from the Senate in 2023.

As such, the lawmaker said that he will no longer seek for re-election to the Red Chambers.

Ekweremadu, who is representing Enugu West in the National Assembly announced this on Sunday in Enugu during his 57th birthday celebration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the senator who is completing his fourth tenure in the NASS was reelected for a fifth term during the just concluded general elections.

The lawmaker said it was time to quit the legislature, adding that his remaining time in the NASS would afford him time to complete ongoing projects in his constituency.

He said that a new breed politician with shared visions would take over from him at the expiration of the fifth term.

Ekweremadu said that his 16 years sojourn in the NASS had been immensely beneficial to his constituents as it had been a harvest of projects.

He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his support through the various projects being executed in his constituency.

Ekweremadu, who traced his political evolution from his time as president general of his town union, said that his political career had not always been smooth.

He said that his life had been a product of divine grace having passed through political persecution and vicissitude of life.

“I have been scorched and bruised and in all of these, God protected me. This will be my last time as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

Ekweremadu said that he may have offended some people in the course of his political career, adding that such people should forgive him.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma described the lawmaker as a perfect gentleman.

Chukwuma said that Ekweremadu had provided leadership at all levels of his political life.

NAN further reports that the occasion also marked the 25th wedding anniversary of the lawmaker with his wife, Mrs Nwanneka Ekweremadu.