Ifeanyi Ubah: Senator who escaped death in Anambra but died in London

Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah (September 3, 1971 – July 27, 2024), was a Nigerian politician, entrepreneur and businessman that served as a Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District in the Nigerian senate until his death on July 27, 2024 in London.

Below are 10 things about Ubah’s life and personality:

1. Ubah died at 52. He would have been 53 on September 3.

2. He was born as the first son of seven children to Mr. & Mrs. Alphonsus Ubah in Otolo, one of the four quarters of Nnewi in Anambra State, Nigeria. Due to the inability of his parents to cater to the educational and material needs of their children, Ubah dropped out of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja to learn trade at a young age. He has attended several local and international business courses and seminars in leadership and business management.

3. Ubah became an exporter of motor tyres and spare parts majorly in West Africa including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and DR Congo before he expanded his business ventures in some countries in Europe including Belgium and the United Kingdom.

4. He was the CEO of Capital Oil, which he founded in 2001. Capital Oil facilities and outlets are domiciled mostly in Southeast and Southwest of Nigeria with one of the largest tank farms for petroleum products storage and distribution in Lagos.

5. He was the founder of The Authority Newspaper, a Nigerian daily newspaper. Ifeanyi Ubah’s newspaper, ‘The Authority’ went daily on October 15, 2015.

6. Ubah founded the Ifeanyi Ubah F.C., a football club in the Nigeria Premier League, following its purchase as Gabros International Football Club. He also founded a foundation named after him; Ifeanyi Ubah Foundation.

7. In 2014, Ifeanyi Ubah contested the 2014 Anambra governorship election on the platform of the Labour Party but lost the race.

8. On February 24, 2019, Ifeanyi Ubah was declared the winner of the Anambra South Senatorial elections on the platform of the Young Progressive Party, but defected to Nigeria’s ruling party the All Progressive Congress.

9. Ubah was married to Uchenna Ubah, a Business Administration graduate of Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, with whom he had five children.

10. 2022 assassination attempt:

In September 2022, Ubah, on his way to Nnewi, was ambushed by gunmen in Enugwu-Ukwu in Anambra State – his convoy was shot at; at least five persons, including two policemen, were killed. Ubah survived the attack reportedly shielded by the bulletproof vehicle he was riding on.