Dr. Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo
Dr. Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo (December
17, 1941 – September 25, 2003), was President of the Senate of Nigeria.
He was sometimes referred to as Oyi of Oyi in reference to his
local government council area (Oyi);
he also held numerous political positions in the Nigeria government. He was
known to be opposed to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party of Nigeria,
which was led by President Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ from the year 1999 - 2007.
Biography
After graduating in Washington, D.C.,
Chuba Okadigbo became Assistant professor, later adjunct associate professor of
philosophy University of the District of
Columbia, adjunct assistant professor of politics the Catholic University of America, and
adjunct assistant professor of politics Howard
University. He accomplished all these from 1973 to 1975.
Between 1975 and 1978, he became director-general center for
interdisciplinary and political studies, and a lecturer in philosophy
University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also became a professor of philosophy Bigard
Memorial Senior Seminary [Roman Catholic Mission] in Enugu State.
In 1979, he was appointed as a Special Adviser to then
president, Shehu Shagari. At the dawn of the fourth
republic, He was elected into the National Assembly (Anambra North) and
he became President of the Nigerian Senate, after the impeachment of Evan Enwerem.
However, in 2000, he was falsely charged of corruption and impeached,
officially demoting him from Senate President to a senator.
In 2002 Okadigbo decamped to the All Nigeria Peoples Party to
become Muhammadu Buhari's running mate in the
2003 Presidential elections, but lost to the People's Democratic Party
candidates (Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ and Atiku Abubakar)
by a landslide victory. Because of possible mass
rigging, his party later took the matter to the supreme court that year.
A day after campaigning in Kano State,
He died in Abuja due
to breathing problem; on September 25, 2003. Though, some people around Nigeria
questioned whether or not the tear gas used during the rally was poisonous.
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