Dr. Chuba Okadigbo took over as Senate President after Evans Enwerem had been impeached (read about Enwerem here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HAcs5h6Kw/).
Then, in June 2000 at the height of the face-off between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Okadigbo, Obasanjo shocked many when he honoured the invitation to commission the Okadigbo's official residence in Apo, Abuja. To the amazement of many, Obasanjo dined and danced away with Okadigbo’s wife in an apparent demonstration of his determination to put an end to the quarrel between him and Okadigbo.
Few days later, senators loyal to Obasanjo decisively removed Okadigbo sending his senate presidency to history.
Earlier, when Okadigbo got wind of the plans to remove him, he snatched the mace and reportedly took it to his house. The government sent policemen to Okadigbo’s residence in Abuja to retrieve the missing mace. The police officers told him their mission but he refused to release it.
Okadigbo had accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of being behind the plot to remove him.
Speaking with the BBC at that time, Okadigbo said, "The police arrived at 5.55 a.m. (0455 GMT) in six jeeps fully loaded with armed officers.
“They told me they had come to collect the mace and that they were acting on orders from the Inspector General of Police. I said I would never give them the mace. I have to be dead before you get the mace, I told them. This is executive lawlessness and is unprecedented in Nigeria’s history.”
Okadigbo eventually lost the battle as he was impeachedand.
HIS DEATH
On September 23, 2003, Okadigbo, who had now moved and was at this time vice-presidential candidate to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), was allegedly gassed at Kano Pillars Stadium by security agents during a rally of the party.
The ANPP and its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, staged the opposition rally at Sani Abacha Stadium as a prelude to their court case at the Presidential Election Tribunal in Abuja, led by Justice Umaru Abdullahi.
The rally, which had thousands of Buhari’s supporters in attendance, was graced by the new Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, his late Deputy, Engineer Magaji Abdullahi, Hajiya Najaatu Muhammad, and John Nwodo Junior.
The ANPP National Chairman, Chief Donald Etiebet, also attended the rally. However, apart from Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the rest of the ANPP Governors were not in attendance, including Ahmad Sani Yerima of Zamfara, Adamu Aliero of Kebbi, the late Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff of Borno, and Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa of Sokoto.
Aware of Dr. Okadigbo’s health condition, the then Federal Government under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo did not want the rally to proceed. Security personnel mounted the entrance to Kano Pillars Stadium to prevent entry into the field until the Kano Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, ordered the youth to break the gate, allowing the opposition figures to enter.
Upon entering the stadium, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau chastised his predecessor and the then Minister of Defence, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for not visiting Kano since handing over power on May 29, 2003. He referred to Kwankwaso as “Ministan tsoro,” meaning “Minister of Fear.”
On returning to Abuja, Okadigbo died on Friday, September 25, 2003, following the alleged gassing by security agents at Kano Pillars Stadium.
Okadigbo hailed from Oyi Local Government in Anambra State.
Credit: Vanguard/Nigerian Tracker/Abbas Yushau Yusuf
