Prince Eka William, Cross River power commissioner, dies suddenly in Abuja hospital

The Cross River State Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Prince Eka William, has died suddenly in a hospital in Abuja, his family has announced.

Prince William, also referred to in family tributes as Dr Eka Williams Abang, died on Saturday, 12 September 2026, while receiving medical treatment in the Nigerian capital. His brother, Nkang William, disclosed the death in a statement issued on Sunday.

The precise cause has not been officially confirmed. Family sources told Daily Post that he collapsed before being taken to hospital. Reports also described an undisclosed ailment. At the time of writing, Governor Bassey Otu’s administration had not issued a formal statement.

Nkang William said the family was struggling to accept the sudden loss of a man who had only recently been with them.

“I am struggling to believe that I am writing these words about you, my beloved brother, Dr Eka Williams Abang,” he wrote. “How can someone who was here with us suddenly become a memory? How can a familiar voice, a loving presence, and a precious life suddenly be silenced? My heart is broken, and my mind keeps searching for an explanation that can make this painful reality disappear.”

He described his brother as more than a sibling — a companion whose presence “carried meaning” — and said the family would continue to honour the life he lived, the people he touched, the knowledge he shared and the relationships he built.

The death has shocked political and public service circles in Cross River, particularly those who had seen the commissioner only days earlier.

Pius Kejuo Osang, a former councillor for Abo Ward in Boki local government area, said: “I don’t understand. I was with him on Tuesday. I slept in his hotel.”

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Michael Gabriel Jr, executive media assistant to Senator John Owan-Enoh, the minister of state for industry, paid tribute to a “dedicated public servant and a good man”. He said Ikom local government area had lost a figure whose “life of service, humility and impact would remain in the hearts of those he touched”.

Prince William, who hailed from Ikom, served as commissioner for power and renewable energy in Governor Otu’s cabinet. He had previously been deputy chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Cross River and chaired the Forum of Commissioners of Power and Energy in Nigeria.

His death is the latest among senior figures in the Otu administration. Abubakar Robert Ewa, the commissioner for tourism, died in January 2025 shortly after a state executive council meeting. Prince Ojoi Ekpenyong Uguana, managing director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, died in June 2026.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

By John James