The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, is dead.
NewsClick Nigeria gathered that Afuye, who represents Ikere constituency 1, died on Wednesday around 6 pm at the age of 66 after a brief illness.
A member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly who spoke to Tribune newspaper on the condition of anonymity said Afuye was rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti in the early hours of Wednesday after developing complications over undisclosed ailment.
Afuye, who was physically present at the inauguration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, on Sunday, did not betray any sign of ill-health at the occasion.
Sources in Ekiti disclosed that he also attended plenary on Tuesday before the sudden turn of events on Wednesday.
The Speaker who is a lawyer by profession was said to have died of cardiac arrest after attempts by medical doctors to save his life failed.
Afuye appeared at the inauguration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, on Sunday and was full of life when he accompanied the new governor to inspect some ongoing road projects in the state capital on Tuesday afternoon.
The Tribune source said, “Our Speaker and leader is dead. We learnt he developed sudden complications this morning (Wednesday) and was rushed to the hospital where he died later in the evening.
“This event is funny and shocking because he was full of life and activity in the last few days. He was at the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, he led some of us to the governor on Monday, and Tuesday we accompanied Oyebanji to inspect some roads in Ado-Ekiti.
“But on Wednesday morning, he was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately we lost him. We were told it is cardiac arrest.”
Afuye, who was in the Assembly between 2007 and 2011, was spending his second term and his tenure was billed to expire on June 6, 2023.
