The Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije is dead. He died on Sunday at 5:30pm today, Sunday, April 19, 2015. He was 75.

A former Minister of information, Chukwumerije was elected a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in April 2003, representing Abia North Senatorial District.

In the Fourth Republic, Chukwumerije was elected to the Senate on the PDP’s platform, but he fell out of favor with the party’s leadership when he opposed the 3rd term agenda Chukwumerije eventually decamped to the PPA in 2006, and was reelected to the Senate on April 28, 2007.

Last December the rumour of his death went viral with the politician coming out days later to describe the rumour as the handiwork of “a few ungodly and irresponsible individuals.”

Chukwumerije, who was divorced with seven children, studied Economics at the University of Ibadan.

He also served as minister of information in the later days of the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.