Key Facts About Ike Ekweremadu
- He is a Nigerian politician and lawyer.
- He’s been a senator since May 2003.
- He’s of Nigerian Igbo heritage.
- He’s @iamekweremadu on most social media.
- He follows Christian and Anglican beliefs.
- He was chairman of Aninri LGA in Enugu State.
- He’s been Nigerian Senate Deputy President three times.
- He is the father of four kids: two boys and two girls.
- He has a PhD in law from Nigeria’s University of Abuja.
- He was born on May 12, 1960, in Nigeria’s Eastern Region.
Who is Ike Ekweremadu?
Ike Ekweremadu is a politician and lawyer who hails from the state of Enugu in Nigeria. Since May 2003, he has been a member of the Nigerian Senate. In addition to being a member of the People’s Democratic Party, he has served as the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate on three separate occasions in a row.
Ike Ekweremadu was born in Amachara Mpu, Nigeria’s Eastern Region, on May 12, 1960. Amachara Mpu is currently located in the Nigerian state of Enugu, specifically in the Aninri Local Government Area.
Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Nwanneka Ike Ekweremadu, were brought before a UK Magistrate’s Court on the 23rd of June 2022 and charged with arranging to arrange the travel of a 21-year-old into the UK for the purpose of harvesting organs. The charges were brought against them jointly.
While the accused former Nigerian Deputy Senate President was being held in detention in the United Kingdom, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order on November 4, 2022, ordering the interim forfeiture of forty landed properties that he had owned in the past. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the foremost Igbo socio-cultural organization, expressed their disagreement with the verdict that Justice Inyang Ekwo had rendered.
Ike Ekweremadu was attacked on August 17, 2019, while attending the Second Annual Cultural Festival and Convention organized by Ndi-Igbo Germany in Nuremberg. Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) stormed the venue and questioned Ike Ekweremadu about the killings of Igbos during Operations Crocodile Smile and Python Dance by the Nigerian Army. Ike Ekweremadu was questioned about his role in IPOB’s proscription in Nigeria. Ike Ekweremadu was attacked, pulled out, and pelted with eggs. He later said he was unharmed. IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu called Ekweremadu’s attack a “gentle warning” and warned other Igbo governors of similar treatment. The four accused were sentenced to 20 days of hard labor without a punishment for assault.
Ike Ekweremadu has won many accolades and honors. He got the Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Africa Leadership Award and a Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Ochiagha Ndigbo (Generalissimo of Igboland) was given to him by Eze Nri, the custodian of Igbo culture and tradition, and Ikeoha Ndigbo (Pride and Strength of Ndigbo) by the South East Council of Traditional Rulers. Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).
Ike Ekweremadu Early Life
Ike Ekweremadu was born in the village of Amachara Mpu, which is located in the Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. His Royal Highness, Okwaa Anekeoji 1 of Mpu, Igwe Mathias Ekweremadu, was the patriarch of his family. His ancestry is Igbo, and he lives in Nigeria.
Ike Ekweremadu Education
Ike Ekweremadu earned a Grade 1 on the West African School Certificate after completing his secondary education at St. Dominic’s Secondary School in Ugiri, which is located in the state of Imo, and Boys Secondary School in Umueze Awkunanaw. He graduated from the University of Nigeria with a bachelor’s degree in law as well as a master’s degree in law, and he was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in the year 1987. Additionally, he holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in law, which he earned from the University of Abuja in Nigeria.
Ike Ekweremadu Career
Ike Ekweremadu started his political career at the grassroots level, when he served as the Chairman of the Mpu Town Union in Enugu State. This was the beginning of his long and successful political career. After that, he won the election to lead the Aninri Local Government Council as its Chairman. As a result of his outstanding performance in 1997, he was awarded the honor of Best Council Chairman of the Year. After amassing an impressive political resume at the grassroots level, Ike Ekweremadu was given the position of Chief of Staff at the Enugu State Government House and later promoted to the position of Secretary to the Government of Enugu State, both of which he held until the year 2002.
Ike Ekweremadu was first elected to the Senate in 2003, on his first attempt at running for the position. On the platform of the then ruling People’s Democratic Party, he won the election to serve as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (PDP), representing the Enugu West Senatorial District. In September 2003, while serving as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information, Chief Ike Ekweremadu made the statement that the Senate would conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations of bribery made by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. He stated that the Senate would look into the allegations.
In 2005, the race for President of the Senate of Nigeria was between Senator Kenechukwu Nnamani and Ike Ekweremadu. Senator Nnamani emerged victorious. Ike Ekweremadu, acting in his capacity as the spokesperson for the Southern Senators’ Forum in July 2006, refuted allegations that the group had reached an agreement to hand power back to the North in the elections scheduled for 2007. In September of 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo made a request to the Senate that they investigate a report that was produced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. This report contained allegations of fraud against Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Ike Ekweremadu made a commitment to establish an investigative committee and stated that the Senate would receive a copy of the committee’s report. However, he also mentioned that impeachment would be difficult because it would require a two-thirds majority vote.
Ike Ekweremadu was successful in his bid to retain his position as deputy senate president in the election held by the Nigerian National Assembly on April 29, 2007. He was responsible for assigning committee chairmanships to the Southeast zone, a role in which he played a role that was unpopular with leaders like Senator Chris Anyanwu, who were passed over for the positions they had hoped to hold. When Ojo Maduekwe’s nomination to a cabinet position was met with controversy in July 2007, Ike Ekweremadu played a key role in calming the situation. It is important to take note of the fact that he was successfully re-elected to the Senate in both 2007 and 2011.
In September 2009, Ike Ekweremadu was given the role of co-chairman of a committee that was tasked with organizing primary elections for the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the state of Anambra. In September 2009, he was given the responsibility of presiding over the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). And served as a member of an ad hoc committee in the Niger Republic that was charged with reestablishing constitutional order. After being elected as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, he eventually took over as the Speaker of the regional parliament in August of 2011. He ran for reelection to the position of Deputy President of the Senate in 2011, and he won. He ran for re-election as the senatorial candidate for the Enugu West Senatorial District in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the elections held in 2015 and was successful in doing so. In addition to that, he maintained his role as the Deputy President of the Senate.
Ike Ekweremadu was re-elected as the senator representing the Enugu West senatorial district on February 23, 2019, with 86,088 votes, defeating his closest rival, Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who received 15,187 votes. This marks the fifth time in a row that Ike Ekweremadu has been re-elected to this position. Ike Ekweremadu’s bid to become the Deputy Senate President of Nigeria’s 9th Senate was unsuccessful, and the election was held on June 11, 2019. Ovie Omo-Agege prevailed in their head-to-head matchup against Ike Ekweremadu, who received 68 votes. After serving for the past 20 years as a senator in Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu has given the impression that he will step down from that position and not stand for reelection in 2023.
Ike Ekweremadu Ethnicity
Ike Ekweremadu comes from Igbo descent, which is indigenous to Southeast Nigeria.
Ike Ekweremadu Parents
Mathias Ekweremadu and Nne Ekweremadu were Ike Ekweremadu’s parents.
Ike Ekweremadu Siblings
Ike Ekweremadu has a number of siblings, some of whom have already passed away, such as his brothers Mathias and Chwukuemeka Ekweremadu.
Ike Ekweremadu Religion
Ike Ekweremadu adheres to the teachings of Christianity and is a member of the Anglican Communion.
Ike Ekweremadu Wife
Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu is Ike Ekweremadu’s wife. They have four children together.
Ike Ekweremadu Children
Ike Ekweremadu is the father of two sons and two daughters, including Sylvia and Sonia Ekweremadu.
Ike Ekweremadu Social Media
Ike Ekweremadu uses the handle @iamekweremadu across the majority of social media platforms. You can find him there.
Ike Ekweremadu Net Worth
It is believed that Ike Ekweremadu has a net worth of approximately $20 million.