A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Agunwa Anakwe has died at 68. He died on Saturday, July 5, after reportedly battling an undisclosed illness.
Anakwe led the third House of Representatives in 1992 under the short-lived interim civilian administration of late Chief Ernest Shonekan. His tenure ended following the military coup that ousted Shonekan by former military dictator, General Sani Abacha on November 17, 1993.
During his time in office, Anakwe was known for his firm stance against efforts to manipulate the democratic transition process. Former Anambra State Governor, Chris Ngige, who visited Anakwe in late March when he was ill and scheduled for major surgery, reflected on their last meeting, saying:
“The camaraderie we shared that night and his happiness at seeing us after many months, lifted our spirits not knowing that death, ‘the biggest thief in the night’ was lurking around to steal our friend and brother, Ide Anaocha.”
Ngige described Anakwe as “a close friend and trusted political ally” and noted that his death has left a “very big void, difficult to fill because of the dearth of principled, accountable and truthful persons in the murky and dirty waters of Nigerian politics”.
Anakwe’s death was confirmed by the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, who stated that the former speaker had been managing an illness for some time.