Former Anambra State Governor, Senator Chris Ngige, has claimed that his removal from office in 2006 was largely due to his refusal to appoint political heavyweight Chris Uba as his deputy governor.
In an interview in Abuja, Ngige, who also served as Minister of Labour and Employment under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, said he remains a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), though currently on a sabbatical from active politics.
Ngige described his removal as part of a divine plan and said he had no regrets. “I know those who removed me. They gave me conditions and I refused. One of them was that I should appoint Chris Uba as my deputy governor,” he said.
He recalled a meeting with the late Senator Ibrahim Mantu, who delivered the demands from political powerbrokers. According to Ngige, Mantu told him, “Somebody sent me. You’re to make Chris Uba your deputy.” Ngige said he rejected the offer outright.
“I refused for two reasons,” he explained. “First, if I made him deputy, he would have immunity. He could walk into my office and shoot me, and nothing would happen—maybe they’d blame my orderly. Second, the people of Anambra would rise against me. They had already seen what these people were capable of. They burned down the House of Assembly, the governor’s office, ABS, the education commission, and more.”
Ngige said the attackers openly declared on national TV that he should never return to the state. “They said they had taken over. I told them, ‘You can have my seat. No problem. God is in charge.’”
A devout Catholic, Ngige said he accepted his removal as God’s will. “When I was removed, someone came to me crying, saying he would’ve committed suicide. I told him, ‘I can get you a rope.’ Because I believed it was what God wanted.”
He said he chose not to challenge the court ruling that removed him to prevent further unrest in the state. “I wasn’t born a governor. I was born Nwabueze Ngige, son of a carpenter,” he added.
Recruiting “Bad Boys” to Restore Security
Ngige also spoke about his unconventional approach to tackling insecurity during his time as governor. He said he deliberately recruited individuals with criminal backgrounds into community vigilante groups to curb crime from within.
“To secure a place, you need money. That’s what security votes are for, not personal spending,” he said. “In 2003, I introduced the Anambra Vigilante Services (AVS) Bill. The Assembly passed it, and we asked each community to submit names—both of good candidates and known bad boys.”
Ngige said the bad boys were identified and warned: “Any false move, you’re dead. But now, you owe us a duty—help us find other criminals, even those who ran from the state.”
They were paid ₦30,000 monthly—a significant amount at the time—fed twice a day, given transportation, and even recharge cards. “They were loyal. When my police escort was withdrawn, they protected me. They even followed us to Aba to arrest criminals hiding in hotels.”
Ngige criticized governors who misuse security votes, saying many treat it as “pocket money” or use it to buy property instead of investing in real security.