The name "Chuka
Obele-Chuka" needs no introduction in the socio-political lexicon of
contemporary Nigeria. The gadfly was once called the Gani Faweinmi of the
Southeast. He is a fearless activist and a fiery lawyer. He was among the
radical Nigerians who dared the military and took to the streets to protest the
annulment of the June 12, 1993 election. While Easterners in Lagos were fleeing
to the East, Obele-Chuka took a bus from East to streets of Lagos to
demonstrate against the abortion of the democratic process.
In 1998, dissatisfied with the
bleak state of the nation, Obele-Chuka embarked on two day one man
demonstration against the murderous regime of Gen. Sani Abacha. Expectedly, he
was swiftly detained by the goons of the Sani Abacha iron fist regime. That did
not deter Obele -Chuka though.
The taking over of Anambra State by
the PDP in the Fourth Republic ushered in a despicable brand of godfatherism
that saw the commonwealth of the state distributed among government officials
and party stalwarts all over the country with virtually nothing left for the
common man in the state. Things became so bad that the governor never bothered
to pay workers. Schools all over the state were closed for over one year, yet
the governor was not bothered. The then Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association,
Onitsha Branch Obiorah Igwe and his deputy, Chuka Obele-Chuka gave the governor
an ultimatum to pay the workers and reopen the schools. In the ensuing tension
Igwe and his wife were murdered by the agents of that government in cold blood.
Obele-Chuka was targeted but like the child of destiny who took a bath with
okra water, he continued to elude his would be assassins.
The tale of the titanic battle of
activism between Mbadinuju and Obele-Chuka is folklorish in Anambra State.
Chuka Obele-Chuka fought the Mbadinuju maladministration to a standstill. He
mobilized Ndi Anambra to make sure that the administration was rejected.
Accordingly, Mbadinuju was disowned by his political party. Obele-Chuka set the
wheels of justice against hatched men of that infamous administration. They
were rounded up, detained and prosecuted, including the former governor.
Obele-Chuka successfully passed the message to the Anambra political class that
killing does not pay. Today, Anambra politics unlike what obtains elsewhere is
quite bloodless. Today, when Chuka enters a court room, everybody knows that a
Daniel is come to judgment. It is to his credit that he stamped out corruption
in Anambra judiciary during his tenure as Chairman of Onitsha Bar.
Obele-Chuka knows no fear. In 2003,
he stormed a popular hotel were the PDP were cooking up results and gave them a
lively challenge despite a rain of bullets from soldiers. Chuka led the masses
to INEC to protest the electoral fraud that threw up Ngige as the governor of
Anambra State despite the threat of being shot at by soldiers. Obele-Chuka
never relented. Ngige personally wrote and signed a petition to the
Inspector-General of Police against Chuka; he took Chuka to court for advising
Ndi Anambra not to pay tax to an illegal, criminal and usurper government.
Chuka never relented until the APGA mandate was eventually restored.
Chuka gave a fiery resistance to
the illegal impeachment of Peter Obi by the Anambra State House of Assembly. He
went to the Anambra State House of Assembly Complex Awka defied the security
agents and stalled proceedings on the floor of the House in order to register
his protest against the illegal impeachment.
Obele-Chuka had always stayed out
of politics. But when Victor Umeh expressed his intention to represent Anambra
Central Zone at the Senate, the tide turned. Obele-Chuka bought into the
project and joined the fray immediately. Hear him, "I have no doubt in my
mind that Chief Victor Umeh is a man of impeccable integrity. I have interacted
with him over the years, and I know him to be a man of character. He is a man
with a large heart. He has the boldness, the intelligence and the strength of
character it takes to give Anambra Central a bold and courageous
representation." Obele-Chuka further explained that he joined APGA
because this time around, Ndi Anambra have got it right. He expressed his
delight at the unprecedented speed of progress in the state under Obiano. As
far as Chuka is concerned, Obiano is the man; Ohamadike Victor Umeh is the
voice, the reliable voice from the East; and APGA is the party: one people, one
vision, one party.
Obiorah Okonkwo wrote in from Awka
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