ENUGU—THE Enugu  Government House is popularly known as Lion Building and the governors who occupy it at each dispensation are known as Lions, especially by security agents.

However, the Lion Building has become notorious for two major things. Most of the lions who occupy the den go in either as divorcees or end up divorcing their spouses while there, save for Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo.

Nwodo was drafted into the governorship race and he went ahead to become the first civilian governor of old Enugu State, when his elder brother, Dr. Joe Nwodo was disqualified from the race along with his main challenger then, Rev. Hyde Onuaguluchi, during the General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime. He lived with his wife, Dorothy at the Lion Building during his short tenure in office.

Apart from divorcing or separating from their wives, such governors have also ended up quarelling with their political godfathers.

The first elected governor of the old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo rode on the back of the former President of Nigeria and Owelle of Onitsha, late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe  during the defunct Nigerian Peoples Party, NPP, to power at a very youthful age.

Nwobodo was separated from his then wife, Mukaosolu, before he was voted into office. Although, he was popular because of his people-oriented programmes, rumours of ladies struggling for his attention were rife.

He later married a new wife, Patricia, who was his long time friend after serving for one term as governor. It was also said that Jim as he is popularly known later quarreled with his political godfather Zik, to the extent that he later collected the keys to a building he bought for Zik in London from him. Zik’s wife, Prof. Uche Azikiwe, was once quoted as accusing Jim of abandoning her husband even while on the hospital bed at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Enugu during his last days on earth.

However, even before Jim’s tenure, the former Biafran leader and Eze Igbo Gburugburu, late Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was known to have had similar problems with marriage. Ojukwu was known to have ”used and dumped” several of his former heartthrobs before he married Bianca, whom he spent the rest of his life with.

Late Chief Christian Chukwuma Onoh popularly known as CC (anine-fungwu) Onoh who succeeded  Chief Nwobodo in a highly flawed election in 1983 was also known to have not run his short-lived administration with  his wife, Caroline as the first lady.

Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani also became the governor riding on the back of his townsman, Jim Nwobodo, also had marital problems. Apart from literally chasing Nwobodo into political oblivion, Nnamani had his own share of marital problems with his first wife, Nenna, whom  he returned from America with to contest the governorship election and later married the daughter of Kate Ene, aka Ada Nkanu.

Nnamani almost single-handedly made Sullivan Chime the governor while leaving office. He was said to have stopped other aspirants who were campaigning to succeed him and chose Chime, whom he thought would be pliable. However, both godson and godfather quarrelled even before the swearing-in of the new governor. It is not known if they have reconciled ever since then.

Chime was said to have been separated from his first wife before he became the governor and was said to have been pressurized to take a new wife. The lot then fell on Clara Chime whom he has since separated from. Although, Clara had publicly appealed to her husband for forgiveness, it is not known whether anything of sort would happen.

Chime who will leave office on May 29, has also, anointed Hon Ifeanyi Ugwanyi as his successor. Ugwanyi is married. It is yet too early to speculate on what would happen between the godfather and his godson. Only time will tell.

Okey Ezea who is a formidable candidate in the All Progressives Congress, APC, is not associated with any particular godfather. Time will also tell what would happen to him, if  he is the successful candidate.