Chinwoke Mbadinuju
Encyclopedia
Chinwoke Mbadinuju was Governor of Anambra State
in Nigeria
from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2003, elected on the People's Democratic Party
(PDP) platform.
His period in office was noted for internal PDP disputes resulting in a failure of effective government.
After leaving office, he was embroiled in court cases over alleged involvement in a political murder.
. He gained a Law degree from one of the best English Universities, He was an editor of Times International.
Before entering politics he was an Associate Professor of Politics and African Studies at the State University of New York
. He was Personal Assistant to Governor of the old Enugu State
, Dr. Jim Chris Nwobodo, between 1979 and 1980. He served as the Personal Assistant to President Shehu Shagari
between 1980 and 1983.
He is married to Nnebuogo Mbadinuju, and they have five children: Ada Mbadinuju (a medical doctor), Chetachi Mbadinuju (an entrepreneur), Nwachukwu Mbadinuju (an operations manager), Uche Mbadinuju (a student) and Chima Mbadinuju (a student).
After the return to democracy in 1998, Chinwoke Mbadinuju became the People's Democratic Party
(PDP) candidate for Anambra State governorship in competition with professor A.B.C Nwosu, who had served four military governors as Commissioner for Health, after a dispute that had to be resolved by the PDP Electoral Appeal Panel.
He was elected Governor of Anambra State in April 1999.
Mbadinuju had been sponsored by Emeka Offor, an Anambra kingmaker. After a falling out between Mbadinuju and his "godfather", Offor, the power struggle between the two men crippled the machinery of government in the state.
By September 2002, unpaid teachers had been on strike for a year and civil servants and court workers had been on strike for months. The president of the Onitsha branch of the Nigerian Bar Association
(NBA), Mr. Barnabas Igwe, said state leaders had pocketed the money meant to pay the striking workers. On September 1, 2002, Igwe and his pregnant wife Amaka were brutally and publicly murdered.
While in office, Chinwoke Mbaninuju passed a law that created the Anambra Vigilante Services, which legally enshrined the Bakassi Boys
, a popular if feared vigilante group credited with reducing crime in the state.
Mbadinuju said that crime in the state had reached such an appalling level that something had to be done.
He defended his decision on the basis of the results it achieved in a November 2009 interview.
He later fell out with another power broker in the state, Chris Uba.
Mbadinuju claimed that he was excluded from the governorship contest in 2003 despite winning the PDP primaries because Uba and President Olusegun Obasanjo opposed his candidature.
In his place, Dr. Chris Ngige
ran for the PDP but was beaten by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance
(APGA). Eventually, after the election was nullified and re-ran, Chris Ngige took the post.
at the time of the assassination.
Igwe had been a vocal critic of Mbadinuju, calling for his resignation due to the failure to pay government workers for several months.
In January 2006 Mbadinuju was retained in prison custody over the suit.
In June 2008 the case was reopened when an Abuja High Court said Chinwoke Mbadinuju was again wanted over alleged forgery and conspiracy in the murder of Barnabas Igwe, and his wife. The police claimed the accused had forged a police document exonerating Mbadinuju of the Igwes' killing.
Anambra State
Anambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The Capital and the Seat of Government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. The state's theme is...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2003, elected on the People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP) platform.
His period in office was noted for internal PDP disputes resulting in a failure of effective government.
After leaving office, he was embroiled in court cases over alleged involvement in a political murder.
Background
Chinwoke Mbadinuju was born on 14 June 1945. He obtained a BA in Political Science, and a doctorate in Government from Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. He gained a Law degree from one of the best English Universities, He was an editor of Times International.
Before entering politics he was an Associate Professor of Politics and African Studies at the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
. He was Personal Assistant to Governor of the old Enugu State
Enugu State
Enugu State is a mainland state in southeastern Nigeria. Its capital is Enugu, from which the state - created in 1991 from the old Anambra State - derives its name. The principal cities in the state are Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Oji, and Nsukka....
, Dr. Jim Chris Nwobodo, between 1979 and 1980. He served as the Personal Assistant to President Shehu Shagari
Shehu Shagari
Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, Turakin Sakkwato served as the President of Nigeria's Second Republic , after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjo's military government....
between 1980 and 1983.
He is married to Nnebuogo Mbadinuju, and they have five children: Ada Mbadinuju (a medical doctor), Chetachi Mbadinuju (an entrepreneur), Nwachukwu Mbadinuju (an operations manager), Uche Mbadinuju (a student) and Chima Mbadinuju (a student).
Governor of Anambra State
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP) candidate for Anambra State governorship in competition with professor A.B.C Nwosu, who had served four military governors as Commissioner for Health, after a dispute that had to be resolved by the PDP Electoral Appeal Panel.
He was elected Governor of Anambra State in April 1999.
Mbadinuju had been sponsored by Emeka Offor, an Anambra kingmaker. After a falling out between Mbadinuju and his "godfather", Offor, the power struggle between the two men crippled the machinery of government in the state.
By September 2002, unpaid teachers had been on strike for a year and civil servants and court workers had been on strike for months. The president of the Onitsha branch of the Nigerian Bar Association
Nigerian Bar Association
The Nigerian Bar Association is the umbrella body of all lawyers admitted to practice law in Nigeria.Any lawyer who satisfies the members of the Body of Benchers that they have good character and proficiency in the Bar Final Examination from the Nigerian Law School is automatically admitted.The...
(NBA), Mr. Barnabas Igwe, said state leaders had pocketed the money meant to pay the striking workers. On September 1, 2002, Igwe and his pregnant wife Amaka were brutally and publicly murdered.
While in office, Chinwoke Mbaninuju passed a law that created the Anambra Vigilante Services, which legally enshrined the Bakassi Boys
Bakassi Boys
The Bakassi Boys are a group of youth known for their anti-crime vigilantism, and are usually armed with machetes, guns, and charms. They operate in the Igbo area of Nigeria, and are sometimes accused of illegal activities and human rights abuses, yet enjoy popular support in the areas where they...
, a popular if feared vigilante group credited with reducing crime in the state.
Mbadinuju said that crime in the state had reached such an appalling level that something had to be done.
He defended his decision on the basis of the results it achieved in a November 2009 interview.
He later fell out with another power broker in the state, Chris Uba.
Mbadinuju claimed that he was excluded from the governorship contest in 2003 despite winning the PDP primaries because Uba and President Olusegun Obasanjo opposed his candidature.
In his place, Dr. Chris Ngige
Chris Ngige
Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige was governor of Anambra State in Nigeria from 29 May 2003 to 17 March 2006. He is a member of the Action Congresss .He was elected Senator for Anambra Central in April 2011.-Background:...
ran for the PDP but was beaten by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance
All Progressives Grand Alliance
The All Progressives Grand Alliance is a political party in Nigeria. At the last legislative elections, 12 April 2003, the party won 1.4 % of popular votes and 2 of 360 seats in the House of Representatives of Nigeria and no seats in the Senate...
(APGA). Eventually, after the election was nullified and re-ran, Chris Ngige took the post.
Later career
In December 2005, the police arraigned Chinwoke Mbadinuju on charges that he had conspired to murder Barnabas Igwe of the Nigerian Bar Association and his wife, Amaka, in September 2002. Mbadinuju was accused of masterminding the killing although he was in Houston, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
at the time of the assassination.
Igwe had been a vocal critic of Mbadinuju, calling for his resignation due to the failure to pay government workers for several months.
In January 2006 Mbadinuju was retained in prison custody over the suit.
In June 2008 the case was reopened when an Abuja High Court said Chinwoke Mbadinuju was again wanted over alleged forgery and conspiracy in the murder of Barnabas Igwe, and his wife. The police claimed the accused had forged a police document exonerating Mbadinuju of the Igwes' killing.