Friday Nwosu, the All Progressives Congress’s National Welfare Officer and a member of the National Working Committee, has been reported dead.

Nwosu, a party leader, formerly ran for governor of Abia State on the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party before defecting to the current APC.

The late legal hero was claimed to have been hospitalized at an unnamed Federal Capital Territory health institution before being released on Wednesday.

Nwosu allegedly returned to the same hospital on Thursday for a regular check-up, when a source verified that he had relapsed and had to be rushed into the critical care unit, where he died.

“His death has jolted all the NWC members including the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu. I am sure the secretariat will release an official report tomorrow morning,” the source said.

His remains had been deposited at the morgue at the time of submitting this report. Attempts to contact the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, for comment were futile. The death of the national welfare officer was confirmed at about 8.20 p.m. through the APC’s official Twitter feed.

The statement read, “RIP SIR F.N. NWOSU. Words are not enough to describe the monumental loss brought by the passing of the party’s National Welfare Secretary, Sir Friday Nwosu, on the APC family. May his soul rest in peace.”

Nwosu’s final official duty before the presidential and National Assembly elections was a press conference on February 10 in which he urged former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogah, and other disgruntled stakeholders to reconcile with Abia governorship candidate, Ikechi Emenike, in order to wrest control of the state from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Ogah, who was also a gubernatorial candidate, has appealed the Court of Appeal in Abuja’s decision to overturn his candidacy.

In ruling on Ogah’s appeal, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Tijanni Abubakar, ruled unanimously that the former minister’s appeal was without merit.

The verdict has fueled animosity between Ogah and Emenike supporters, a scenario that the governing party fears may cost them the gubernatorial race in the state.

In his address to media, APC National Welfare Secretary Nwosu urged the warring parties to sheath their swords and cooperate for the party’s triumph in the state.

Even as he pleaded with Ogah to dismantle his political organization and work together for Emenike.