Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the Abia State governor, has tested positive for COVID-19.
The state commissioner of information, John Okiyi Kalu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
The deputy governor of Abia State Ude Oko Chukwu is now acting in the place Governor.
The governor who is now receiving treatment, kalu said, had been in isolation before his result returned positive.
Consequent on the above, the Governor has directed his Deputy, Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu, to act on his behalf pending his full resumption of duties.
The statement added, “We wish to urge all Abians to take the fight against COVID-19 serious as the disease is real but not a death sentence. Our state has the resources to manage patients back to good health.”
Abia State which has been one of the states with the lowest number of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria recorded an unsual increase with 66 new infections reported by the NCDC on Sunday.
Recall also that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, Governor Ikpeazu was seen in video insisting that the pandemic would never reach his state, since it’s the only state in Nigeria that it’s name (Abia) could be found in the Bible.