UPDATED: Akwa Ibom ex-Military Administrator, Idongesit Nkanga, Is Dead

Former military administrator of Akwa Ibom state and the current Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, is dead.

BIGPEN understands Nkanga, reportedly dies of coronavirus complications.

The retired former Air Commodore, according to family sources and other credible sources at the Covid-19 Isolation Centre, has been on life support for several days before his passage on Christmas eve.

Sources said that Nkanga’s wife Funmi, and his longstanding Personal Assistant, Wilson who is a retired agent of the country’s secret service have both been quarantined.

Nkanga, born January 27, 1952 was governor of Akwa Ibom from September 1990 to January 1992 during the regime of General Ibrahim Bangangida as Military Head of State.

In May 2001, he became a member of the board of the Cooperative Development Bank before he emerged as the governorship candidate of the defunct Nigeria Democratic Party (NDP) to contest against Obong Victor Attah in the 2003 general elections.

The former commander of the Presidential Air Fleet was appointed the governorship campaign Director General of Chief Godswill Akpabio’s second term campaign team and also served in Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Divine Mandate (campaign organization) in both 2015 and 2019 governorship elections respectively.

He has been actively involved in the development of Akwa Ibom (now Victor Attah) International Airport since 2007 where he was appointed Chairman of Akwa Ibom Airport Implementation Committee and later as Chairman of Ibom Airport Development Company Ltd.

Nkanga, an Elder of the Qua Iboe Church of Nigeria was the National Chairman, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).

As the chairman of PANDEF, Nkanga was vocal in the campaign for the restructuring of Nigeria and the development of the country’s Niger Delta region.