All Former Imo State Governors And What They Have Been Up To

It is often said that the National Assembly is the retirement home of past Governors in Nigeria. How true is this statement? Anaedoonline took out time to analyze the long list of past Governors from Imo State. It is a long read so you have to appreciate the short intro.

Ndubuisi Kanu 

Rear Admiral Godwin Ndubuisi Kanu remains one of the most exceptional Governors in the history of Imo State since its inception, albeit a Military Governor. He was the first Governor of Imo State after its creation in 1976 and served for only a year.

During his one-year leadership, he invited town planners to map a plan for the development of the state capital, Owerri and constructed new roads in the state. Kanu created more local government areas in the state making it 21, he also established the Imo Broadcasting Service (which is now the Imo Broadcasting Corporation).

The former Military Governor who passed away in January 2021, at the ripe age of seventy-seven years, went on to live a very interesting active life after his tenure as the Governor of Imo State.

After his one year as the Governor of Imo State, he was appointed by the then Military Government of Olusegun Obasanjo as the Military Governor of Lagos State, a position he held till 1977 when he returned to the military. He went on to attain the position of a Rear Admiral and Naval Chief, serving with the UN Interim Force In Lebanon.

After the retirement of Kanu from active service, he joined the pro-democracy movement becoming a strong agitator for a democratic government. Kanu called for a return to true federalism in Nigeria in 2008, he became a top National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) chieftain and became Chairman of the coalition in 2013.

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Away from politics, he was the founder and Chairman of RANGK LTD, a maritime consultancy, was Chairman of the Ohaneze Transition Caretaker Committee (OTC), and was Director of Fidelity Bank PLC. He passed away on January 2021 from COVID-19 related complications.

Adekunle Lawal

Adekunle Shamusideen Lawal was the second Military Governor of Imo State. He succeeded Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Lawal in 1977 after he was appointed by the military government of Olusegun Obasanjo.

After he left the seat of the Governor of Imo State in 1978, Adekunle resumed his career in the Nigerian Navy. However, he voluntarily resigned abruptly in 1979 after he had attained the position of an Admiral.

Admiral Adekunle Lawal’s life was cut short in November 1980 after a brief illness.

Sunday Ajibade Adenihun

Sunday Ajibade Adenihun was the last Military Governor of Imo State between 1978 to 1989. He handed over to the first civilian governor of Imo State in October 1979 to Chief Samuel Mbakwe.

After leaving the government, Chief Sunday Ajibade Adenihun went into politics till his death in November 2008.

Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe 

Dubbed the ‘Weeping Governor’, Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe was the first civilian executive governor of Imo State. He was elected in 1979 after one year in the Constituent Assembly.

Mbakwe was one of the remarkable governors at that time, he was re-elected, but his second tenure was broken up by the 1983 military coup lead by General Muhammed Buhari.  After his abrupt removal from the office, Sam Mbakwe proceeded to acquire a doctorate in political science.

With the dawn of the Third Republic, he joined the then Social Democratic Party (SDP). He resigned from active politics in March 1993 out of anger caused by his disqualification as an aspirant for the seat of the national chairman of the SDP before the June 1993 elections.

Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe passed away on the 6th of January 2004.

IK Nwachukwu

Following the disruption of the democratic government by the military, Sam Mbakwe was replaced by a military governor, Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu.

Ike Nwachukwu was Imo State’s Military Governor from January 1984 to August 1985. After he left the seat, he was appointed the Minister for Employment, Labour and Productivity from 1986 to 1987.

Nwachukwu was Minister of Foreign Affairs from December 1987 to December 1989. He returned to the military where he assumed a command position as a General Officer Commanding 1 Division. He was re-appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he held till the transition to civilian rule. 

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Ike Nwachukwu scaled through the military to join active politics, he represented Abia North Senatorial District in the Senate between 1999 and 2003 on the ticket of the PDP. Mr. Nwachukwu was in the NPRC in 2005 and served in the Committee on Models and Structure of Government. 

He was among the contestants of the 2015 presidential elections. Ike Nwachukwu celebrated his 80th birthday in 2020.

Alison Madueke

The Madueke name is very popular in the political realm. Alison Madueke is the husband of the first female Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria who later became Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation in July 2007.

Alison Amakoduna Madueke was Imo State’s Military Governor under the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida, he served from August 1985 to 1986. After his tenure, he was promoted to rear admiral. He served briefly as Chief of Naval Staff from 1993 till he was sacked in 1994 for supporting the release of Moshood Abiola.

After his forceful retirement from the navy, Madueke became Chairman of Radam Maritime Services Ltd., executive chairman of Interconnect Clearinghouse, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National ICT Merit Awards He also was appointed to the boards of Regalia Nigeria Ltd, Excel E & P (Marginal Oil Fields) Ltd., Solid Rock Securities and Investments Ltd., and Image Consultants Ltd.

Amadi Ikwechegh

Amadi Ikwechegh was the Military Governor of Imo State from 1987 to 1990 and a member of the Provisional Ruling Council. He returned to the Navy in 1990 where he served till his retirement in 1999 by the government. 

After his retirement, he went into business mostly related to marine in Port Harcourt. Amadi Ikwechegh died on 10 November 2009 after battling a sickness that started in 2007.

Anthony Oguguo

Anthony E. Oguguo was the last military governor of Imo State that ushered in the short-lived Third Republic. He was appointed the governor of Imo State under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida from 1990 to 1992. During his time, he was famous for his disciplined and just leadership.

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Oguguo was amongst the officers retired in 1999 by the government. After his time in the military, he became an active politician. He declared interest in the Enugu State 2002 elections, unfortunately, he walked out before the primaries. 

He remains an active politician to date under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party.

Evan Enwerem

Evan Enwerem was elected into the office of the governor of Imo State in 1992. He was barely a year in office when the Third Republic collapsed and the military took over power.

Enwerem was not deterred from his political pursuit as he went on to become Nigeria’s first Senate President in the wake of the Fourth Republic. His position was short-lived again when he was removed as the Senate President, however, he stayed a member of the house till 2003. 

He died in August 2007 after a long illness.    

James Aneke 

James N. Aneke was appointed the Military Administrator as a Navy Captain after the collapse of the third republic. He was the Military Administrator of Imo State from December 1993 to 1996.

He was compulsorily retired from service in July 1999 by the government policy that affected every official that held political appointments during the military era.

He was on the board of Summa Guaranty and Trust Plc. After his retirement, he went into part-time Real Estate Consultancy. He is a fellow of the Nigeria Society of Engineers and a member of the Enugu State Advisory Council.

Tanko Zubairu

Colonel Tanko Zubairu was the last Military Administrator of Imo State, he was in office from  August 1996 until May 1999. He handed over power to a civilian governor.

However, after the transition to civilian government, Tanko was summoned by the Imo State Assembly to give an account of his time in office. The summon was meant with a blunt refusal on Tanko’s part but was finally accepted after the court ruled in favor of the assembly.

Not much is known of the Colonel’s life after service except in September 2008 when he was made chairman of the National Sourcing In-Coverage Global Technocom Ltd (NSICGT), a private initiative that was issuing educational scholarships, especially for Nigerian youths.

Achike Udenwa

Achike Udenwa was the third civilian governor of Imo State. He won the 1999 election and the subsequent 2003 re-election. 

Udenwa’s tenure ended in May 2007, the following year he was appointed Minister of Commerce and Industry by President Yar’Adua. 

In 2016 Udenwa, was involved in a scandal as a State coordinator for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign organization in Imo State, he was accused of embezzling funds. He remains active in politics to date.

Ikedi Ohakim

He was elected Governor of Imo State, Nigeria on 28th April 2007 and was sworn in on May 29th, 2007 as the 13th Governor of Imo State and the 4th to be democratically elected. He went back to his businesses after leaving office as Governor of Imo State in 2011.

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He tried unsuccessfully to reclaim his seat in 2015 and lost, tried again in 2019 and lost.

In July 2021, Ohakim joined APC.

Rochas Anayo Okorocha

He is easily the most controversial governor of Imo State since its inception. Rochas Anayo Okorocha won the 2011 Gubernatorial election to become the 4th civilian governor of Imo State. He was in office for two terms.

After his second tenure in office, Rochas contested for the 9th Senate representing Imo west Orlu senatorial zone during the 2019 National Assembly elections. Even though the results were inconclusive, he was sworn in by the Senate President. Rochas Okorocha is currently a Senator of the Federal Republic.

 Emeka Ihedioha

Emeka Ihedioha won the gubernatorial election of Imo State in 2019, however, his tenure ended as soon as it started in January 2020. He was removed from office by a Supreme Court’s judgment.

Last heard of the usurped governor is the filing of a petition to contest the judgment of the court.  

Hope Odidika Uzodimma is presently the Governor of Imo State, and we look forward to seeing the path he will choose when he leaves office.

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