Nzeribe: A Complicated Life
About five years ago, when I learnt that he had been indisposed for a while, I visited the late Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe at his Apo Legislative Quarters residence in Abuja. It was difficult to reconcile the man I met in a wheelchair with the Nzeribe I used to know. He was, to put it mildly, in very bad shape. Despite his condition, he was delighted to see me; though he couldn’t hold any meaningful conversation. Not long after, Nzeribe was moved to the United Kingdom where he had spent most of his early life. I therefore felt a deep sense of loss when I heard about his passage last weekend.
I have known Nzeribe since April 1992 and our relationship will take more than a footnote in my memoir when I write one. On different occasions, I was privileged to have sat with him for long conversations and I could see beyond the façade of a hard man. I recall the weekends I spent at his ‘Haven of Peace’ residence in Oguta, including when he buried his first son. I once broached the idea of writing his biography. He initially agreed until I told him what the title would be: The Odd Man Out!
The late Nzeribe was a complicated man whose political life (and may be his business life too) was driven by the dictum that only the end should justify the means. From 1983 when he announced himself to Nigerians during his bid for Senate with the drama of pulling a gun at the collation centre when the returning officer attempted to manipulate the election result against him, Nzeribe was a prominent feature of our politics. The role he played during the transition to civil rule programme of General Ibrahim Babangida with his Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) and the subsequent annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election are already well documented. But in October 2002, Nzeribe met his match in the then Senate President (now
presidential aspirant), Anyim Pius Anyim.
Apparently working for Aso Rock enforcers at the time, Nzeribe had been gathering signatures of senators with a view to move for the impeachment of Anyim who had by then become an enemy of President Olusegun Obasanjo. But in a preemptive strike, a ruthless Anyim announced in plenary that Nzeribe had defrauded the Senate to the tune of approximately N22 million through five payments. While he provided no evidence to back his claim, he then requested the Senate to grant him (Anyim) leave to hand Nzeribe over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution. With the prayer adopted through a voice vote, Anyim banged his gavel to seal the indefinite suspension that kept Nzeribe out of the Senate for the remaining period of that term.
Four years later, at the PDP primaries ahead of the 2007 general election in Orlu senatorial district where he had a larger-than-life profile, Nzeribe was defeated by his protégé, Osita Izunaso (who was aided by then Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa). Nzeribe never fully recovered from that political humiliation until the health challenge (combined with an advanced age of 83) that ultimately claimed his life last Thursday.
Ordinarily, the essence of political participation includes improving systems, empowering citizens etc., all in pursuit of the public good. But for the late Nzeribe, despite his brilliance and national reach, the obsessions were almost always about grabbing power, either for himself or in errands for others. To be sure, one can say that of most Nigerian politicians, but Nzeribe seemed to revel in the role of a spoiler while making himself available for any political undertaking, however unpopular. And it was difficult for me to understand why. Nzeribe may not be as rich as he was touted to be, but he was also, by all standards, materially very comfortable so he didn’t need to behave like a desperate man. Yet, in several instances, that was the way he presented himself to colleagues and the Nigerian public.
At the end, Nzeribe was arguably one of the most reviled politicians of his generation. And he brought that upon himself. He allowed his Machiavellian approach to politics to alienate him from different power groups across the country, and the ordinary people on the street. He was my friend, and I won’t ever forget that. But his legacy and how he would most likely be remembered are civic lessons that other politicians should learn from. I commiserate with auntie Joan and other members of the Nzeribe family. May the soul of the departed Ogbuagu, Oshiji, Damanze Oyimba of Oguta rest in peace.