Dr Austin Avuigwerie Orette, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) senatorial candidate for Delta South in the 2027 general elections, has died in Houston, Texas, United States.
Orette’s death was announced on Saturday, October 24, 2026, by his media strategist, Henry Ovie Ebireri.
However, the statement did not disclose the circumstances surrounding his death.
The late politician was born in Owhelogbo, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Before venturing into politics, he spent several decades practising medicine in Nigeria and the United States.
Orette obtained his medical degree from the University of Nigeria College of Medicine in Enugu in 1985 before relocating to the United States.
He later completed his family medicine residency at the Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas, between 1992 and 1995.
He subsequently built a career in the United States, working in family medicine, emergency medicine and the management of chronic illnesses.
Beyond his medical career, Orette became involved in Nigerian politics and wrote extensively on issues relating to national security, governance and economic reforms.
He was initially a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State before leaving the party in early 2026 to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
His decision to leave the APC followed disagreements over what he considered undemocratic practices within the party.
However, his stay in the NDC was also short-lived, as he resigned from the party in mid-2026 following disputes over its primary elections.
Orette subsequently joined the ADC and secured the party’s ticket to contest the Delta South Senatorial District seat in the 2027 elections.
Before his death, he was involved in a legal dispute with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of his name from the final list of candidates for the January 16, 2027 election.
The late politician had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking ₦1 billion in damages from the electoral commission.
He argued that his name was wrongly excluded despite winning the ADC direct primary with 10,950 votes.
