IWUANYANWU: A colossus in politics, by Emeka Nwosu

The sudden demise of the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Engr. Chief Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu, MFR, OFR, CFR even at an advanced age of 82 has brought into focus beautiful memories of a man who lived his life largely in the service and defence of his people. In his life time, he straddled the entire social and political landscape of Nigeria like a colossus, with his footprints firmly etched in several areas of human endeavours.

A social commentator recently, in a tribute, had described Iwuanyanwu as an octopus who impacted the nation in different areas of human existence. His contributions to national development are incontestable. They are indelible and enduring. Even in death, the man, Iwuanyanwu, has continued to loom larger than life. He made impressive marks in everything he laid his hands on.

In this piece, we are focusing attention on his contributions to the political development of the country. In subsequent write-ups, we shall be examining his contributions in other fields of endeavor where he made profound national impact. And they include health, education, human capital development, aviation, sports, real estate, food security, media development, road constructions, philanthropy, banking, culture etc.

Iwuanyanwu who held the revered title of Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo was an iconic political leader that bestrode the political landscape of the nation with his intimidating frame like a colossus. I came into contact with this charismatic leader in the late 1980s when the then military President, General Ibrahim Babangida lifted ban on partisan politics. The prelude to the lifting of the ban was the setting up of the Political Bureau led by Prof. S.J. Cookey which was charged with the mandate to conduct a nationwide debate on the socio-political future of the country with a view to recommending appropriate political ideology and party system for Nigeria.

The Committee which consisted of many renowned eggheads in Nigeria was constituted in 1986. It toured the country, took submissions from various interest groups and finally submitted its report after a year`s interval. The acceptance of the report by Government paved the way for the emergence of the Third Republic in which Iwuanyanwu proved his mettle as an astute political leader. He was fully immersed in the politicking of the time where he vigorously campaigned across the length and breadth of the country to become the President.

In response to the lifting of the ban on partisan politics, Iwuanyanwu with other like minds and heavyweights, including Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, and Alhaji Lema Jubril formed the Nigerian National Congress (NNC), one of the leading political associations of that era seeking to be registered as a political party. He traversed the entire country, along with his colleagues building the structures of the NNC across the then existing 30 States of the Federation. He spent huge chunks of his resources in this enterprise.

President Babangida was later to ban the political associations and established two political parties, namely the National Republican Convention (NRC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP). Iwuanyanwu and his colleagues in NNC collapsed their political structures into the NRC which Government proclaimed to be of rightist political ideology. Iwuanyanwu moved round the country seeking to be the presidential flag bearer of the Party.

In spite of his enormous contributions, Babangida banned all the political actors of the time again and encouraged what he called ‘newbreed politicians’ to take over the two Government-sponsored political parties. Iwuanyanwu still remained a leading force in the NRC till the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election that featured MKO Abiola as the candidate of the SDP and Alhaji Bashir Tofa as the flag bearer of the NRC.

The annulment eventually led to the stepping aside of Babangida and the subsequent emergence of General Sani Abacha as the new Head of State. Abacha dissolved all the democratic structures that were put in place by Babangida and went ahead to institute his own political transition programme with the setting up of five new political parties, namely United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), Congress for National Consensus (CNC), Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM), Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN), and National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN).

Iwuanyanwu, once again, took up the gauntlet. He moved his political structures nationwide into the UNCP and assiduously worked tirelessly to pick the presidential ticket until it became obvious that Abacha was on a vicious mission to transmute into a civilian President. Abacha hoodwinked and arm-twisted all the five parties to adopt him as their respective presidential candidate. The entire edifice of fraud constructed by Abacha ended with him when he unexpectedly died in office in 1998, paving way for the emergence of General Abdulsalam Abubakar as the new Head of State.

Abubakar instituted a short transition programme that lasted for barely 11 months, paving the way for the crystallization of the current Fourth Republic. Once again, the ban on partisan politics was lifted and politicians came together to form new political parties. Iwuanyanwu and his associates, including Shinkafi, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Senator Ali Sheriif, Dr. Olushola Saraki and many others rallied together to form the All Peoples Party (APP). He also vigorously campaigned on the platform of this party to become the President of Nigeria. He was, however, schemed out by the Military, which at the time, wanted the Presidency zoned to the South West of Nigeria to compensate it for the annulment of the 1993 presidential election won by MKO Abiola.

It was curious that Dr. Onu who won the APP ticket was forced by the Military to surrender the ticket to Chief Olu Falae who was of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) with Shinkafi who came second in APP primaries selected as the Vice Presidential running mate of Falae.

Falae eventually lost out to Olusegun Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was the favourite of the ruling military elite. Iwuanyanwu was not deterred. He continued to soldier on, guided by the philosophy of serving the greater interest of the nation, irrespective of tribe and religion. He was still in APP even when it transformed to All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). He was, however, later to move to PDP where he became a Member of the Board of Trustees.

Iwuanyanwu`s home at Orji in Owerri, Imo State was a Mecca of a sort for all manner of politicians who thronged there from all parts of Nigeria to seek one form of assistance or the other. His Lagos residence at Abimbola Close in Victoria Island was similarly not spared of stream of politicians and other Nigerians coming to seek for favours from this great leader with a large heart. As a Political Editor of the Daily Times and National Chairman of the National Association of Political Correspondents (NAPOC), I was a regular caller at Iwuanyanwu`s Lagos and Owerri residences. I witnessed things first hand. He spent his personal fortunes in forging alliances and seeking to build a new Nigeria that works for everyone.

Iwuanyanwu lived an incredibly active life in the service of the nation. He played politics of national integration and inclusiveness. In death, he remained awesome, like the colossus he was. He will be highly remembered for his giant strides in all fields of human endeavor.

In the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an American Philosopher and Poet: “Lives of great men all remind us to make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time”. Iwuanyanwu left indelible footprints in the hearts of men and women across divides. As the nation prepares to give him a befitting farewell, I pray that God will grant his soul eternal repose.

Adieu Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo!

Dr. Nwosu, a Public Affairs Analyst, is former Political Editor of the Daily Times.

Email: cdnwosu2@gmail.com