Former Speaker of the House of Representatives in the aborted Third Republic, Chief Agunwa Anaekwe, is dead.
Chief Anaekwe, aged 68, died on Saturday.
From Adazi in Anaocha Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State, Anaekwe became the Speaker of House of Representatives on December 5, 1992 and his tenure abruptly ended on November 17, 1993 when late Head of State, General Sani Abacha successfully executed the coup d’detat against Chief Ernest Shonekan’ s Interim National Government (ING).
He was a graduate of Law from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Enugu Campus, and an old student of the Christ the King College, CKC, Onitsha, Anambra State.
After his tenure as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anaekwe refrained from partisan politics. He later joined the All Progressive Congress (APC) after its formation and was in the party till his demise.
He was the second House of Representatives Speaker from Anambra State, after the tenure of the late Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke from 1979 to 1983.
Recently, he led some officers of the National Assembly to meet with President Bola Tinubu, where they discussed many issues.
But a long-time friend of Chief Anaekwe and ex-Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, expressed shock and sadness over the death of the former Speaker.
He described Anaekwe’s death as the uprooting of a big political iroko tree from Ibo land and Nigeria.
The former Governor of Anambra State, in his tribute, said: Part of the statement read: “Late Agunwa was my friend, trusted political ally, who aligned himself with progressive politics since he joined partisan politics in 1991 through the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) emerging the Speaker of the House in a keenly contested Speakership race between the SDP and the opposition National Republican Convention (NRC).
“He steered the House with a lot of dexterity, wisdom and patience, a situation that saw the House having more stability than its Senate counterpart before the military led by General Sani Abacha struck on November 17, 1993, after the annulment of the presidential election won by MKO Abiola of the SDP.
“He lost his seat when all the democratic structures were pulled down by Gen Abacha. He took the situation with equanimity but still joined us and the then former Anambra Governor, Chukwemeka Ezeife in the fight for the restoration of democracy…”
“At the inception of the Third Republic, he joined us in the vanguard of Dr Alex Ekwueme’s alliance that went to form the Eastern flank of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He contested the controversial gubernatorial election of December 1998, and even though he didn’t make it, he accepted the results in good faith. And while some others were going to the party’s appeal panel and court, he joined us to deliver the then guber candidate, Chinwoke Mbadinuju of blessed memory.
“When I emerged the guber candidate of the party in 2003, Ide Agunwa was the Battalion Commander of the foot soldiers who worked in Anaocha and Njikoka local governments. He showed palpable presence in the elections, producing advantageous outcomes.
“As Governor, he stood with me in the fight to behead the god-fathers that held Anambra hostage under Gov Mbadinuju resulting in ‘years of the locusts’ situation with unpaid salaries and gratuities for workers, teachers resulting in closure of schools for one academic session; a situation we quickly reversed with restoration of payment of salaries and gratuities as and when due.
“Ide was one of the Governor’s Advisory Committee of Elders. We were allies again in the formation of Action Congress (AC) in 2006 and in my absence overseas, after my removal by the court, he stepped in and stood in as the first interim Chairman of the AC, Anambra chapter, holding forte till I came back and we ran the Presidential and controversial 2007 gubernatorial elections which was later nullified by the Supreme Court to enable Governor Peter Obi finish his four years term.
“Ide Anaocha accepted to be an interim State Chairman because of his penchant for progressive politics. Even recently, having been a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, he stooped to be the APC Ex- Officio for South East zoned to Anambra State in the party’s 2022 National Convention order to give trusted, quality representation for the zone in the party’s National Executive Committee, despite his high status as a member of the National Caucus.
“His death has, therefore, created a very big void, difficult to fill because of the dearth of principled, accountable and truthful persons in the murky and dirty waters of Nigerian politics.
“I remember with nostalgia my last visit to him with Senator Osita Izunaso to see him in his Abuja home in late March when I heard he was sick and was billed for a major surgery. The camaraderie we shared that night and his happiness at seeing us after many months, lifted our spirits not knowing that death, ‘the biggest thief in the night’ was lurking around to steal our friend and brother, Ide Anaocha.
“May the good Lord comfort the family, the Government and our people in Anambra State and Nigeria in General, on this colossal loss as we pray that the good Lord will grant his soul eternal rest.”
