In the wake of the 2007 general elections and the strident criticism of the polls by opposition parties, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who won the presidency, made a terse admission and conciliatory statement, that the polls through which he just got to office, were not perfect. That, ordinarily, was not an earth-shaking declaration, considering that no election ever claimed perfection. That statement did become a very convenient axe, however, waved furiously by all those who were ready to quote Yar’Adua. Interestingly, none of those who easily referenced Yar’Adua on this score was willing, or fair enough, to acknowledge that the man never said that he did not win the election.
Indeed, no other presidential candidate ever laid claim to being the winner of the 2027 presidential election, imperfect as it may have been.
Enter Professor Maurice Iwu, then Chairman of the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC), at that critical juncture in history. Iwu never said the election he conducted was perfect. He did say something, however, which got opposition politicians raving. In the heat of the passion in those who felt worse at the polls, Prof. Iwu declared, boldly and somewhat defiantly, that if the presidential election was conducted ten times over, in the prevailing political environment of Nigeria at that period, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would still win. More hell was let loose from the corner of critics, but that was, and still remains Prof. Maurice Iwu. He holds on tenaciously to his conviction and he hardly backs down. The passion of that moment did not allow many to appropriately understand the man’s argument. It took a while before many, including those who savaged him earlier, came around to appreciate Iwu’s thesis, which became a spring board for subsequent political development.
In the first decade after democracy was restored in Nigeria in 1999, as the national political system, PDP was not just the ruling party, it was a behemoth of sorts. The gap between the ruling party and all other parties combined, was unassailable. PDP was dominant in every other zone of the country, but one. That was what Prof. Iwu noted and pointed out that the opposition parties, contending individually, could only generate noise, but would never win, except they pulled together. PDP would always trump them, even if elections were held donkey times. The truth was evident, but as one of the critics asked, why should Iwu say it?
Prof. Iwu was appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission in May 2005. He had served briefly as a National Commissioner in the Commission, before being appointed Honourable Chairman. Prior to joining INEC, Iwu had gained global renown as a scientist, in the area of pharmacognosy, with many global scientific laurels to his name. He had his early education at Christ the King School, Aba and St. Pius X College, Bodo, Ogoni, River state. He proceeded, subsequently, to the University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom, where he was educated to PhD level.
He was, at various times, a World Health Organization (WHO) visiting scholar to the Dyson Perrins Laboratory, University of Oxford (1908), Fulbright Scholar at Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio (1983), senior Research Scholar Award winner at the U.S. National Research Council, Washington DC (1993-1995), Vice President, Research and Development, Tom’s of Maine, as well as member of the board of directors, Axxon Biopharm Inc, USA. In 1999 he won the US National Research International Prize for Ethnobiology.
He had part of his rich professional career at the Division of Experimental Therapeutics of the highly regarded Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington D.C, where he was a Senior Research Associate. At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he was a professor of Pharmacognosy
Not unexpectedly, Prof. Iwu brought a remarkable spirit of innovation to INEC. He not only elevated the place of technology in the electoral process, he totally overhauled the electoral systems management, leaving an abiding imprint at the election management body.
Standing to the credit of Prof. Iwu’s tenure at INEC is the Electoral Institute, which he established. TEI as it is commonly known, has become the hub of research and documentation at INEC. He not only established the Institute, he presided over the acquisition of the exquisite building in the central area of Abuja which houses the institute. His foresight in acquiring the structure when INEC under him, did that, speaks for him now. Iwu also introduced the use of National Youth Service Corps members in the electoral process, using the young citizens on national service to replace ad hoc staff from the open society, an arrangement that had become quite problematic, as politicians exploited the old order to push their supporters in as ad hoc staff.
Under Iwu also, electronic registration of voters was introduced. He ushered in the era of Direct Data Capture, which for the first time captured fingerprints of registered voters and added images to voter’s cards. INEC under him partnered with Chams to establish a voter’s card production facility in Abuja. The idea of a permanent voter’s card matured only after he left office. In his effort to foster a better relationship with political parties as stakeholders in the electoral process, Iwu promoted a common body of political parties, what came to be known as Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC).
On the administrative level, Prof. Iwu as Chairman of INEC fought and won a free hand for INEC to appoint its secretary, who is the head of administration of the Commission. Until Iwu’s advent, the Federal Government used to second a senior permanent Secretary to function as Secretary of INEC. He found that awkward, knowing that such a secretary can only owe his or her allegiance to those who appointed them. Perhaps, by far, one of Iwu’s most impactful accomplishments for INEC, outside the knowledge of the general public, was the establishment of what is known as INEC Fund, a financial management arrangement that enabled the Commission to exercise relative financial control over its funds.
It is interesting that while for many politicians and critics, Prof, Iwu’s tenure at INEC is essentially seen from the prism of debate over whether the 2007 presidential election was perfect or imperfect, inside the electoral commission, Iwu remains something of a cult hero. His bonding with the personnel of the Commission, cemented by his innovations and premium on staff welfare obviously hold out great fulfilment for him.
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In June 2010, Iwu completed his five-year tenure as INEC Chairman and left office. One year after, in 2011 another general election was held, not by Prof, Iwu, but under another Chairman. Once again, the PDP prevailed. Then, the opposition parties that took umbrage at Prof. Iwu’s statement in 2007, remembered that Iwu had said that unless they joined forces, PDP will continue to win. The opposition parties faced reality and got themselves to forge a common front. The rest is history.
Has there been any acknowledgment by the godfathers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of the source of the idea that culminated in the formation of the common front by opposition parties, which ultimately resulted in the toppling of the PDP? Certainly none. Against the backdrop of where Nigeria has found itself, it is seriously debatable, though, whether it was a good or bad idea, to have sown the seed that eventually brought the country to its current pass.
In the years after his management of Nigeria’s electoral process, Prof. Maurice Iwu has settled back into the ambience he is used to. He did not waste much time to return to research and production of natural health products that promote wellness, in the face of the onslaught of several synthetic health products. He was also appointed into the board of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals. As president of Bioresources Development Group (BDG), Prof. Iwu is also actively involved in promoting national policies that seek to accord due recognition to natural products and medicine, as a viable approach to achieving a healthy society.
Some years back, an incident occurred at Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, USA, which, reflected the name Professor Iwu has made for himself. At the immigration point at one of America’s busiest airports, an official on duty, on receiving Iwu’s passport, took a double look at the passport, called out his name and said in an unmistakable American tongue,” for real?”. Then he followed it up with a rhetorical question. ”Is it the Maurice Iwu? The much Prof. Iwu could offer was that he was Maurice Iwu. The gentleman offered a very warm welcome, satisfied, as it seemed, that he met ‘the Maurice Iwu’.
That Maurice Iwu, otherwise, Professor Maurice Mmaduakolam Iwu, eminent research scientist, former Chief Electoral Officer of Nigeria and a philanthropist, turns 75 years today, April 21 2025. It surely has been a fulfilling, eventful life. He often smiles through challenges, but hardly leaves unsaid that which he believes he must say. Here are 75 bouquets for Professor Maurice Iwu. He has lived an impactful life. Thankfully, his hands are still on the plough.
. Ezeani, a columnist, was a newspaper editor and head of the Publicity Division at INEC.
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