The family of the late Mr Ernest Oduh, Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ezza North Local Government Area has said that he died of a natural cause.

Oduh, reportedly slumped while attending a crucial meeting with key stakeholders of the APC in Enugu State on Tuesday and was rushed to a hospital where doctors battled unsuccessfully to revive him.

The younger brother of the deceased, Mr Sunday Oduh, made the appeal on Sunday in Ezza North during a condolence visit by one of the APC governorship aspirants for 2019 election in Ebonyi, Chief Austine Edeeze.

Oduh accused some politicians from the area of politicising the death of their elder brother, thereby sending wrong signals to the public.

He urged them to stop “crying more than the bereaved” and pointing accusing fingers at innocent people on social media and on the pages of newspapers including sponsoring protests.

“It has been a difficult task to console our aged father and the entire family who have been trying to grasp with the sad reality of the sudden death of our brother in his prime.

“Another painful aspect of the death is its politicisation by some politicians from the local government, who allegedly sponsored protests without the consent of the family, and have been attacking innocent people on the pages of newspapers.

“Our deceased brother should be respected and allowed to rest in peace, hence we are advising those crying more than the bereaved to channel their energies elsewhere.

“Our brother died of a natural cause and he died on his hospital bed and medical reports proved that.

“Nobody killed our brother because he travelled to Enugu on that fateful day for the meeting alongside other party chairmen from Ebonyi,” Oduh said.

Earlier, Edeeze, who is also the Chairman, Federal College of Education, Ado-Ekiti, in Ekiti State, had described the death of Oduh as great loss to the family, APC and Ebonyi in general.

He prayed God to console the family and give them the heart to bear the loss.

Edeeze, also a member of the APC National Board of Trustees, expressed displeasure over the attitude of some politicians who were taking advantage of such sorrowful and sad loss to gain cheap popularity.

He criticised those peddling falsehood and fake news on social media and pages of newspapers about the cause of the death of the politician.

“The death of Oduh is quite a huge shock coming to us who are his political associates and we mourn this very tragic loss.

“I urge the family members including the widow and aged father to take heart.

“I advise that those making issues out of his death to have a positive rethink and show honour and respect to the dead,” Edeeze said.

•Text (excluding headline) courtesy NAN.

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