One great Igbo man we always forget DR. CHUBA OKADIGBO (Oyi of Oyi) 1941-2003.

One great Igbo man we always forget DR. CHUBA OKADIGBO (Oyi of Oyi) 1941-2003.

One great Igbo man we always forget DR. CHUBA OKADIGBO (Oyi of Oyi) 1941-2003.

This is one of the fearless leaders we lack today. When will we have people like him again?

Many of our youth know Wike and co, but they don’t know the man who shook Aso Rock with grammar and courage.

Here are his performance when he was alive.

1. He was the most brilliant Igbo political brain after Zik
   First class political science, PhD in Washington DC, professor at 30. He was called the “Cicero of Nigerian politics” because no one could defeat him in debate.
2. He made Ndigbo relevant in NPN government
   When Shagari won in 1979, Okadigbo was his Special Adviser on Political Matters. He used that position to put Igbos in key appointments when others wanted us sidelined.
3. He became Senate President in 1999
   When democracy returned, he became the first Igbo Senate President in the 4th Republic (1999-2000). The highest office Ndigbo got. He used it to fight for South-East roads, appointments and allocation.
4. He was the only man who could stand up to Obasanjo fearlessly.
   As Senate President, he opposed Obasanjo’s anti-Igbo policies and anti-South-East budget. They impeached him because he was too stubborn for the presidency to control, not like Akpabio today. That was Igbo courage.
5. He showed Igbos must build alliances to take power
   In 2003, he left PDP and became Buhari’s Vice Presidential running mate under ANPP. He told Ndigbo: “If you want presidency, you must negotiate, you must align.” That strategy is what Tinubu later used to rig.
6. He died on the battlefield for justice
   On September 25, 2003, at a rally in Kano protesting rigging of 2003 election, police fired teargas. He inhaled it, collapsed and died. He literally died fighting for democracy. Not many politicians can say that.
7. He built Oyi and empowered thousands
   He built schools, gave scholarships, employed countless Igbo youths in Abuja and Anambra. His house in Ogbunike was open to everybody.

Oyi is gone. Today we have leaders who cannot speak truth to power. When will we have another Okadigbo?

What do you remember about Chuba Okadigbo? Drop it in comments. Let our children know his name.