The Uba Brothers

Comfort Obi

Y ou , of course, know of the Uba brothers of Anambra State: Ugochukwu, Andy and Chris. But I'll do a brief introduction.
Dr. Ugochukwu Uba, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is the eldest of the three brothers. A two-time commissioner in Anambra State, a former university teacher, Ugochukwu became a Senator in 2003.

Dr. Andy Uba is the second of the brothers. Until President Olusegun Obasanjo's presidency, he lived, and worked in the United States of America. He is the Senior Special Assistant, on Domestic Affairs, to Mr President. Many believe he is the most powerful and influential of all Obasanjo's aides.

The third, Chief Chris Uba, is the last of the Uba brothers. He is a businessman, contractor, rugged, rough, a grassroots politician, trusting to a fault, a mobiliser, organiser, rich and the acclaimed godfather of Anambra politics.

The first time I heard of him was during the failed Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju's administration. But he was then overshadowed by Chief Emeka Offor. His luck shone when the PDP rejected Mbadinuju for a second term. And Uba picked his successor in style. He not only installed Dr. Chris Ngige as the governor, he installed the three senators, most members of the House of Representatives and most of the House of Assembly members in the state. It took the courts to disqualify two senators, and a couple of House of Representatives members. But Chris came into full national consciousness in a rather notorious manner. He arranged the forceful resignation, and abduction of Ngige as a governor. When it didn't work, he confessed (and apologised) later that Ngige never won but was rigged in by him. Ngige was finally given the boot by the courts.

I admire the Uba brothers. But that is because I admire any closely-knit family. The Uba brothers are close. The three are doing well in their areas of choice. They are comfortable. And had been working together.

But now, it seems the devil is finally at work. It seems people (and political power) have come between them. So, now, Nigerians are watching, in amusement, a political battle that could get bloody if not well managed. It is an Uba vs Uba war.

What is at stake is the governorship seat of Anambra State. Tired of installing others as governors, who later betray them, the Uba brothers think it should now be in the family. Afterall, the three of them are qualified to run, and money wouldn't be a problem. So, what is the problem then?

Dr. Andy Uba has, allegedly, jumped the ship and the gun at once. The story is this: Since 1999, Chris has put up, and funded to the hilt, a political structure that is like a bulldozer. It is so formidable that it bulldozes everything, anything, on its way. Ask Anambra people. The general election of 2003 was a test case. Since then, Chris has been in charge, handling, so to say, all the “tough and bad cases” for the PDP in the state. In doing that, he had been abused left, right and centre. And he had been called all kinds of names that people now think his image stinks. But surely his brothers usually knew what he was upto, and supported him, along with their millions of loyalists. In fact, the allegation is that Andy was the planner and Chris, the executioner.

But suddenly, Andy wants to opt out because he wants to be a governor. Political contractors have come between the brothers. And have allegedly convinced Andy that he would make a good governor, that they would support him, but that he must wean himself from his brother, Chris. So, Andy decided to get his own structure. But there are really no political structures in Anambra, for now, except that of Chris Uba. So, it is plausible to argue that it is Chris' political structure that those who are urging Andy on are eyeing.

Andy, it seems, has suddenly realised that his brother's image is bad, a liability. To be a governor then, he is separating himself from his bulldozer brother. He is gnawing at his brother's political structure. And wanting to dismantle it. Party officers installed by his brother were recently given the sack but for the intervention of the national body. Andy has, on his own, decided to run for governorship without, allegedly, hinting his brothers, or referring to them.

Question: If Chris, in his eyes, now has a bad image, what about Senator Uba? Why didn't Andy tell him? And you ask: What has happened to brotherhood? What has happened to “the same blood?” The quarrel has become public and people are laughing at, and ridiculing the famous brothers. They are saying what goes round must come round. And they are saying, “Don't you see, Chris is bad. He is quarreling with his brother now."

In the face of all these, Andy has kept quiet. He has not said a word. Before his brothers, it is said, he denies he is behind the crisis. But his actions speak more than his words. His devastated brothers are talking and trying very hard to keep the scandal in the family. To show how close the three brothers are, both Ugochukwu and Chris are telling people that “the three of them will settle in their mother's bed-room.” They had better do. Nothing is worth quarrelling over with one who is of the same parents with you. You would end up being a laughing stock. You would end up being a tool in the hands of the enemy. You would end up making the enemy happy.

But back to Andy. None of the alleged promises made to him would materialise without the support of his family. If the stories are true, my prediction is that those who are pushing him now would use him (to destroy what his family has) and dump him thereafter. It is only then that he would realise that whoever coined the adage: “Blood is thicker than water” was wise. Yes.