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The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, is expected to attend the burial of Pa Okaji Simon Okorie Abba, father of the party’s Ebonyi South Senatorial candidate, Chief Linus Okorie.
Pa Okaji, a respected community leader, elder statesman, educationist, and philanthropist, died on November 14, 2025, at the age of 93, according to the burial programme released by his family.
Announcing the funeral arrangements, Chief Okorie described his late father as a man of integrity, wisdom, and selfless service whose contributions to education, community development, and the upbringing of young people would remain an enduring legacy.
He said the late patriarch earned the sobriquet “Patron Eguani” (Patron of the Children) because of his lifelong commitment to the welfare, mentorship, and development of younger generations in his community.
According to the burial programme, the funeral activities will begin with a Christian wake at Isiama Primary School, Onicha, in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
A funeral Mass will be held at the same venue on Friday, July 31, 2026, after which the remains of the elder statesman will be laid to rest at his country home in Amokwe, Isiama, Onicha Local Government Area.
Pa Okaji Simon Okorie Abba is survived by several children, including Chief Linus Okorie, who represented the Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency in the 7th and 8th National Assemblies.
Chief Okorie served as Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Institutions from August 2015 to June 2019.
He was the Labour Party candidate for the Ebonyi South Senatorial District in the 2023 general election and is currently the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.
