Chris Ngige

Chris Nwabueze Ngige
Governor of Anambra State
In office 29 May 2003 – 17 March 2006
Preceded by	Chinwoke Mbadinuju
Succeeded by	Peter Obi
Senator for Anambra Central
Incumbent
Assumed office May 2011
Preceded by	Annie Okonkwo
Personal details
Born	8 August 1952
Political party	Action Congress of Nigeria (AC)

Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige (born 8 August 1952) was governor of Anambra State^[1] in Nigeria from 29 May 2003 to 17 March 2006. He is a member of the Action Congresss (AC).^{[citation needed]} He was elected Senator for Anambra Central in April 2011.^[2]

Background

Ngige was born on 8 August 1952. A medical doctor by profession, Ngige graduated from the University of Nigeria-Nsukka in 1979. He immediately went into the civil service, serving at the National Assembly and State House clinics at different times. He retired in 1998 as a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Health.^{[citation needed]}

Political career

Thereafter, Ngige turned to politics, becoming a founding member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP)^{[citation needed]} By 1999, he was Assistant National Secretary and Zonal Secretary of PDP in the South East region of the country. Elected in 2003 under controversial circumstances, he quickly broke ranks with his self-styled "political godfather" after an unsuccessful attempt on 10 July 2003 to illegally remove him from office through a fabricated letter of resignation which the state assembly accepted. A Nigerian Federal Court of Appeal affirmed the nullification of Ngige's purported 2003 election victory on 15 March 2006. This was after a lower election court(election Tribunal led by Justice Nabaruma had in August 2005 nullified his 2003 victory. The court declared that Peter Obi, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was the bona fide winner of the election.^{[citation needed]}

However, this nullification has not diminished Ngige's popularity as he spent the 33 months in office executing populist, people-oriented programmes especially road construction. Ngige had accepted the court ruling as the court of appeal was the terminal court in governorship election petitions and to save the state further crises arising from the support given his traducers by the Obasano-led federal government.An attempt to participate in Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted 'Governorship election' in the state in April 2007 was frustrated by INEC in complicity with the federal authorities through a dubious 'disqualification'even after a Federal High Court had voided the disqualification.^{[citation needed]} Ngige was severely criticized for appearing naked at the dreaded Okija voodoo shrine in order to be made governor.

Ngige ran for election in the April 2011 elections for Senator for Anambra Central, on the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) platform. After voting problems in some areas of the constituency on 9 April, the election in these areas was held on 25 April and Ngige was declared winner over former Minister of Information and Communications Professor Dora Akunyili of the APGA. He scored 69,765 votes while Akunyili scored 69,292 votes.^[2]

References

1. ^ Jide Ajani; EmmanuelL Aziken (13 February 2011). "ntrigues stall Ribadu’s choice of running mate". Vanguard. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/02/intrigues-stall-ribadu%E2%80%99s-choice-of-running-mate/. Retrieved 14 February 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Nwanosike Onu (2011-04-28). "How Ngige floored Akunyili in Anambra Central". The Nation. http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/4382-how-ngige-floored-akunyili-in-anambra-central.html. Retrieved 2011-04-27. 

ACN: Action Congress of Nigeria - ANPP: All Nigeria People's Party - APGA: All Progressives Grand Alliance - CPC: Congress for Progressive Change - DPP Democratic People's Party - LP: Labour Party - PDP: People's Democratic Party

See also Members of the Senate of Nigeria in the 6^th National Assembly (2007-2011)

External links

• Official Nuhu Ribadu for President campaign website

Persondata
Name	Ngige, Chris
Alternative names
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Date of birth	8 August 1952
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death