Just in: Ekiti Speaker Afuye suffers cardiac arrest, dies at 66

Ekiti State has been thrown into mourning following the death of Speaker of the State House of Assembly Funminiyi Afuye.

Afuye, representing Ikere constituency 1, reportedly died around 6pm on Wednesday after a brief illness. He was aged 66.

He was said to have been rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) Ado-Ekiti in the early hours of Wednesday after developing complications over undisclosed ailment.

Afuye, a lawyer, reportedly died of cardiac arrest.

The speaker was at the inauguration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, on Sunday and accompanied the new governor to inspect some road projects on Tuesday.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Oyebanji, Yinka Oyebode, confirmed the news of Afuye’s death in a statement issued Wednesday night.

The statement read in part, “The Government of Ekiti State regrets to announce the death of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Funminiyi Afuye.

‘Rt. Hon Afuye died Wednesday evening at the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado- Ekiti, where he was receiving treatment after suffering a cardiac arrest.

“The late Afuye, 66, was a former Commissioner, Ekiti State Ministry of Information and two- time member of the State Assembly. He was inaugurated Speaker of the sixth Assembly on June 6, 2019.”