A man of the people exits the stage gracefully

Wantaregh Paul Iyorpuu Unongo was one of the few colourful politicians Nigeria has produced. Born in Kwande Local Government Area of today’s Benue State, Unongo decided early in life to get involved in the struggle for liberation of his people and Nigeria.

He was an admirer of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as a teenager, and thus registered as a member of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon (NCNC), shortly after he left secondary school. When the late Joseph Tarka began his agitation to have the Middle Belt Region created out of the Northern Region, Unongo offered his services. Although he was not well known in the 1950s, being a young politician, he had started his political journey.

In the Second Republic, he showed that his love for Zik and his political philosophy had not waned as he was a founding member and National Secretary of the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP). The youngster of the 1950s had matured and plunged fully into the murky waters of politics. He was quite visible and had the ears of his leader. Unongo contested the 1979 governorship election in his Benue State, but lost to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to which Tarka belonged. Aper Aku who was fielded for the position by the NPN easily carried the day. But, for Unongo, the struggle continued.

He was one of the arrow heads of the accord between the NPN and NPP. He linked up with Chuba Okadigbo of the NPN that won the 1979 presidential election to seal the accord that allowed the NPN settle in office. In the 95-member Senate, the ruling party had 36 seats to NPP’s 16. Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria had 28. While the People’s Redemption Party of Mallam Aminu Kano and Waziri Ibrahim’s Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP) had eight and seven seats, respectively.

Unongo and Okadigbo had little problem convincing their parties that the accord was the way to go, ostensibly to build a stable republic. Needless to say that the “accord concordiale” as the late Kingsley Ozumba (K. O.) Mbadiwe put it, lasted only a short while.

Unongo who had become a high-flying politician was appointed Minister of Steel Development in the Shehu Shagari executive council. However, he ran into trouble when he was charged with corrupt practices and was eventually redeployed to the Ministry of Mines and Power.

He was a prominent member of the Social Democratic Party in the stillborn Third Republic and worked assiduously for the victory of Chief MKO Abiola at the 1993 presidential poll.

The seasoned politician would not be sidelined at the inception of the Fourth Republic as he teamed up with others to found the All Peoples Party (later All Nigeria Peoples Party). He was again the governorship candidate of his party, but lost to George Akume of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He then took a back seat in partisan politics, saw himself as an elder statesman, participating only in the affairs of Northern Elders Forum, the Middle Belt Forum that issued statements occasionally to show it’s still alive, and attending constitutional conferences.

Seasons and times define man. He is remembered for what he was able to do in the short time allotted him. Paul Unongo played his part and would be remembered as one politician who loved his people and sought to lift them up. Other deeds of the man from Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State are already consigned to the history books.

Update news