Barely 48 hours after his covid-19 status was made public, the governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has reportedly been moved to Abuja for intensive care.
Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is Nigeria’s fourth sitting governor to test positive for the virus after governors of Bauchi, Kaduna and Oyo.
However, reports say Ikpeazu’s case has been complicated with kidney failure and has been on dialysis.
Insider sources say the governor is being treated at his home in Abuja with a sizable number of medical personnel on the ground to ensure he gets the best care possible, according to Saharareporters.
The paper while quoting the sources reports that apart from medical staff on the ground to attend to him, it was gathered that the Abia State governor also arrived Abuja with a retinue of aides and security personnel, some of whom are believed to have tested positive for the virus as well.
It was further gathered that Ikpeazu’s kidney failure is threatening his chances of making a full recovery from COVID-19.
The governor made headlines on March 22 when he claimed that the state will not record any Coronavirus case because it was the only state mentioned in the Holy Bible.
He said, “Abia is the only state that is mentioned in the Bible. We have a promise from God that none of these diseases will touch God’s people. And I hold on to God’s promise.
“We saw Ebola, it did not get to us. We saw monkeypox, it didn’t get to us. Even this one (COVID-19) will also pass us by.”
Before now, there were attempts to fly the Abia governor abroad for treatment but following the ban on international flights in many countries around the world and his positive status of the virus, that idea was frustrated and the decision to move him to Abuja was reached.
As a result of his current situation, Governor Ikpeazu has since directed Ude Chukwu, his deputy, to act in his capacity until he recovers.
Abia State so far has 83 cases of Coronavirus while seven persons have recovered from the pandemic. It has also recorded no deaths.
