Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has contracted the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu

This was disclosed in a statement released on Monday, June 8 by the Abia State Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu.

The statement said the Executive Governor of Abia state had gone into isolation before his result returned positive and that he has directed the deputy governor to act on his behalf pending the time he resumes duty.

Thelagostimes gathered that Governor Ikpeazu had on Sunday, May 30, 2020, volunteered his sample for COVID-19 test and directed members of the state Executive Council (EXCO) and those of the inter ministerial committee on COVID-19 to submit themselves for the same test.

According to the Coronavirus test result of the Abia State Governor which was made available on Tuesday, June 2, the governor tested negative for Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The information commissioner said the Abia Governor submitted another sample at NCDC laboratory for confirmation and the result returned positive.

”As a result, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has gone into isolation, as required by relevant NCDC protocols, and he is being managed by a competent team of medical practitioners with a view to nursing him back to good health.

”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.

”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.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 260 new Coronavirus cases in Nigeria in a tweet on the micro-blogging site, Twitter on Sunday evening.