The Senate has paid tribute to former Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, hailing his record on healthcare, infrastructure and Niger Delta economic cooperation, and urging the Delta government to preserve the records of his achievements.
Senators stood for a minute’s silence for Uduaghan, who died on October 19, 2026, three days before his 72nd birthday.
The tributes followed a motion by Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas (Delta South). It was co-sponsored by Senators Ned Nwoko (Delta North), Ede Dafinone (Delta Central) and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central).
Uduaghan governed Delta from 2007 to 2015. Before that, he served as commissioner for health and secretary to the state government.
A medical doctor, he was credited by the lawmakers with introducing free maternal and under-five healthcare, building up medical facilities and delivering major infrastructure, including the Asaba International Airport.
They also recalled his role in driving economic cooperation among South-South states through the BRACED Commission, set up to strengthen regional development and wean the region off oil revenue.
Moving the motion, Thomas pointed to Uduaghan’s record in healthcare, education, infrastructure and economic diversification. He said the administration’s programmes raised living standards and widened access to essential services.
He noted that the late governor offered free healthcare to pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under five, and invested in the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, as well as schools and roads.
The motion urged the Delta State Government to preserve records of the major programmes and projects of Uduaghan’s administration for posterity.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described Uduaghan as a committed leader who overcame heavy political opposition while in office.
Akpabio said the two were political contemporaries who got their party tickets around the same time. According to him, Uduaghan faced resistance from stakeholders in Delta but stayed focused on his political and development goals.
He also recalled Uduaghan’s work in deepening regional cooperation through the BRACED Commission and in pushing to diversify the South-South economy beyond oil.
Regional leaders, Akpabio said, were looking for ways to address long-standing grievances over resource distribution and underdevelopment, which fuelled unrest in the Niger Delta.
He extended condolences to the family, the Delta State Government and the people of the state, saying Uduaghan’s years in public service and his contributions to regional development would remain part of his legacy.
Senator Ede Dafinone said the late governor’s career was defined by commitment to the people. He noted that Uduaghan would have turned 72 on October 22, 2026.
“His life is to be remembered as one of humility and service to his people,” Dafinone said.
He said Uduaghan touched many lives as commissioner for health, secretary to the state government and governor.
“Public service is marked by the number of lives touched in service, and there is no doubt that in his eight years as governor, his position as secretary to the government and commissioner of health, our late governor touched very, very many lives,” he said.
Dafinone extended condolences to the immediate family, the Itsekiri nation, the people of Delta State and Nigerians in general.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) described Uduaghan as a key figure in the push for economic integration among South-South states.
Recalling their years as governors, Oshiomhole said Uduaghan played a prominent role in establishing the BRACED Commission, which aimed to harness the region’s natural resources and human capital for collective growth.
He also praised Uduaghan’s infrastructure projects, particularly those that developed Asaba and improved living standards across Delta.
“He may have been born as an Itsekiri man by accident of birth, but actually he was a proud son of Delta, and he deployed all he had to upgrade the living standard of Delta,” he said.
On the late governor’s legacy, Oshiomhole said: “Uduaghan was of my height, but his legacy was much taller than God gave him vertically.”
He prayed for the repose of Uduaghan’s soul and urged public officials to reflect on service and the legacies they leave behind.
After the tributes, the Senate adopted resolutions to commiserate with Uduaghan’s family, the Delta State Government and the people of Delta State.
Lawmakers again urged the state government to preserve the records of significant public programmes and development initiatives from his administration for future generations.
The Senate prayed for the repose of the former governor’s soul, and for God to give his family, friends, associates and the people of Delta State the strength to bear the loss.
