The life and times of Tony Anenih, ‘Mr Fix It’

Chief Anthony Akhakon Anenih died at the Cedacrest Hospital in Abuja on the afternoon of Sunday, October 28, 2018, following what his family called a protracted battle with an undisclosed ailment. He was 85 years of age.

Anenih has been a politician all his life and he made sure to insert himself into the national conversation at critical moments in the life of his nation. It is why he was nicknamed ‘Mr Fix It’ after all. Anenih fixed elections for fun, fixed votes for whatever political party he belonged to per time, fixed supporters for presidents, fixed national budgets and fixed the mood of the nation on occasion. Fixing was his life.

“Anenih was a master strategist”, says Senate President Bukola Saraki. “He was a consummate politician and committed statesman who contributed greatly to the development of Nigeria’s democracy”, Saraki adds.

From police officer to politician

Born on August 4, 1933, in Uzenema-Arue in Uromi, Edo State, Anenih joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1951.

Anenih obtained his secondary school certificate from home.

As a student of the Police College in Ikeja, he was selected for further training in the Bramshill Police College, Basingstoke, England in 1966 and the International Police Academy, Washington DC in 1970.

Not many remember that Anenih was police orderly to the first Governor General of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. It was probably at this stage that he began nursing dreams of being a politician himself.

In 1975, Anenih served as an instructor in various police colleges. He was later assigned to the Administrative Staff College (ASCON) in Lagos. Anenih retired from the Force as a Commissioner of police soon afterwards and dived headlong into politics in the ‘80s.

Chairman of SDP and serving Obasanjo

Between 1981 and 1983, Anenih served as State Chairman of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He was elected Governor of old Bendel State in 1983, but his reign was cut short when the military overthrew General Buhari and installed Babangida.

From 1992 to 1993, Anenih was National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He was Chairman of the SDP when Chief MKO Abiola won Nigeria’s freest and fairest election to this day. The vote was annulled by then military leader, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).

In 1994, Anenih was a member of the Constitutional Conference put together by then military dictator, General Sani Abacha.

“Chief Tony Anenih’s life was an archetypal lesson in public service and leadership at its best. He had to himself a life full of accomplishments and meritorious services to the local and national communities”, says former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 2015, Group Political Editor of The Nation newspaper, Emmanuel Oladesu, captured Anenih’s time as Works Minister this way: “Anenih was also a member of Obasanjo’s kitchen cabinet. But, critics alleged that his attention as a minister was always diverted by the demands of high wire politics. Thus, in their contention, the infrastructure battle, which should be his primary responsibility, was not vigorously fought.

“Federal roads became death traps and critics alleged that huge money voted for construction and rehabilitation went down the drain. Anenih objected to the claim. He fired back, saying that he did not steal a penny. When a media report insinuated that Anenih would soon be in soup on the day of accountability, he boasted: ‘which pot of soup can contain me?’

Anenih was like that. Always willing to take on political opponents and often boasting that he was untouchable. He had a larger than life persona and enjoyed taking political opponents to the cleaners. He cherished the murky world of politics like perhaps no one else of his era.

Anenih accused of corruption

Anenih was one of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 and served as Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman of the PDP subsequently.

In October 2009, a senate committee indicted Anenih for allegedly mismanaging more than N300 billion earmarked for the fixing of roads. Anenih, according to the committee, awarded contracts without budgetary provision.

As the PDP’s political fortunes and popularity began to wane nationwide, so did Anenih’s. Signs of Anenih’s dwindling political stock became visible in 2015 when, in spite of throwing the kitchen sink at the opposition APC, Anenih couldn’t inspire Jonathan and the PDP to presidential victory.

“Don’t be deceived if anyone tells you Jonathan will not win, that person is sick. I wanted to see things for myself. Four days ago, I was in Kwara State. As I was leaving after sitting for five hours, I knew that we have got Kwara.

“Two days ago as Buhari was landing in Sokoto, I was also landing in Sokoto; and as he was leaving, I was also leaving, but at the time I was leaving, I knew we have got Sokoto state. These are Northern states”, Anenih boasted just before Nigeria’s general election.

Jonathan would go on to lose the popular vote and the PDP, the presidency.

The end of a fixer

Perhaps Anenih’s worst political defeat and most glaring inability to fix things as he loved, was evident when Adams Oshiomhole seized Edo State, annihilating the PDP and its array of godfathers.

At the time of his death, Anenih’s political scalps, accumulated over the years on the stomp, stood out as symbols of the man. They had also left him battle weary. He’s been there and done that.

Here was a man for whom the game was simply what it was–the game.

Goodnight, fixer.