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On the Prof. Chinua Achebe project, log on to www.Achebebooks.com

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CLASS is the social events, heritage excellence and style magazine for Africans in north America, described by The New York Times as the magazine for affluent Africans in America.

Nigeria's Senate president Evan Enwerem impeached
Chuba Okadigbo takes over; informs USAfricaonline "my priority is interests of all Nigerians"
Special toUSAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
USAfricaonline.com

After months of denials and allegations of criminal record and falsification, rounds of partisan political fights and intrigue, former Governor of Imo State and president of Nigeria's Senate, Evan Enwerem, was toppled November 18, 1999. Enwerem, a survivor a previous impeachment fight, lost this time in an overwhelming vote cast by his colleagues. 90 senators of 109 voted to impeach. Only two voted against the impeachment. The others missed the historic vote or simply abstained.

He has since been replaced by political scientist and his former rival for the post in the summer of 1999, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo. He informed USAfricaonline.com in a brief post-election interview that "we'll continue to place the overriding interests of all Nigerians at the top of our legislative agenda. We'll return quickly to the task of rebuilding the country and its democratic institutions."

In terms of strategic implication, as one of President Olusegun Obasanjo's key supporters, Enwerem's removal has firmed up the hands of Okadigbo ally, Atiku Abubakar, vice president of Nigeria. Okadigbo has also become the number three person in Nigeria's constitutional line of ascendancy.

In a denial which appeared on USAfricaonline.com, Enwerem dismissed the late July, 1999 edition of Tell magazine, entitled: "Enwerem in Trouble" regarding his alleged "criminal record" as "wicked fabrication." He added they were "baseless, malicious, unfounded, defamatory (and) a wicked fabrication and a calculated attempt to tarnish" his reputation.

He asked the publishers of the magazine to apologize to him, adding Tell was acting for some unnamed "enemies... whose aim is to use the public media to do as much damage as they can to my name, integrity and office."

On November 18, his prophetic, albeit self-serving denials were no longer valid for his colleagues who has since been facing a boycott of all joint sessions until Enwerem was ousted. The lower House of Representatives resolution to boycott all joint sessions held up Obasanjo's budget, and affected foreign dignitaries who sought to address the joint assembly sessions.

Enwerem's had denied that contrary to the Tell report, he was never a revenue clerk in the government of Eastern Region "and I never served the Eastern regional government in any capacity.... I have never at any time in my life addressed a press conference, at which I claimed I had a twin brother, Evans, who was convicted for stealing.... And, I still challenge the magazine to produce newspaper(s) or the text of the press briefing in which I broke into tears."

Tell, according to USAfricaonline.com sources in Lagos, planned to "amplify its case against Enwerem." It did. Meanwhile, a team of politicians were resolved to topple the embattled Enwerem. Nigeria's Senate had cleared Enwerem of charges made by Tell. A special committee set up to investigate the charges claimed there was no evidence to substantiate the claims that he had a criminal past and had lied to cover it up.

Before this turn of events, another Lagos-based magazine TheNews added its voice and research to allegations initially made by a pro-democratization agency about disgraced speaker Salisu Buhari's forged education and age records. Buhari was forced to resign.

The Peoples' Democratic Party of Obasanjo, Enwerem, Okadigbo, Buhari, former vice president of Nigeria (1979-1983) Dr. Alex Ekwueme will grapple with an interesting power power play following its convention November 20 weekend.

Okadigbo, known for his outspoken edge and knowledge of Nigeria's politics, is not new to the ways of presidential power, having served as political adviser to former president Shehu Shagari (1979-1983). Obasanjo, sources close to Okadigbo, informed USAfricaonline.com and NigeriaCentral.com, that "Obasanjo will get his unqualified support only if Obasanjo treats all Nigeria's fairly and listens to the cries of those who have been left out of things at different levels of government." A former administrative assistant to the Senate president-elect Okadigbo told me "his record on public issues and disposition indicate that he will make things more exciting, and will not tolerate any form of injustice and nonsense from Obasanjo or anyone else."

Such tough talk will be tested, soon, on the various issues of community interest in Nigeria's renewed effort at democratic rule. How Okadigbo carries on, especially when (and if) he is able to bring some measure of stability and credibility to the Senate will be a defining as the barely 7 month old democratic institutions seek solutions to the proverbial hydra-headed, knotty problems which ordinary folks in Nigeria contend with, daily.
by Chido Nwangwu (additional reporting by USAfricaonline.com special correspondents Prince Eze Madumere, Ade Olaoye and Aliyu Uthman)

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