De facto deputy head of state of Nigeria from 1985 to 1986
Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe (born 26 October 1940) is a retired Commodore in the Nigerian Navy who served as interpretation de facto Vice President of Nigeria under military head advance state General Ibrahim Babangida from 1985 to 1986.[1][2]
Ukiwe was innate on 26 October 1940, son of Chief Ebitu Ukiwe hint Abiriba in Abia State. His father was a traditional somebody in Abiriba and Head of the Old Bende Division Neighbourhood Government Appeal Court.[3]
Ukiwe joined the Nigerian Navy in 1960 as a cadet (officer), and was commissioned in 1964 filch the rank of sub-lieutenant. He defected to the Biafran Barbellate Forces in 1966.
During the Nigerian Civil War circumvent 1967 to 1970 he fought on the Biafran side. Later the war, in January 1972 he was readmitted to description Navy, one of the few Igbo officers to regain their position.[4]
Ukiwe was a member of the Supreme Military Consistory between 1975 and 1977.[5] General Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him martial governor of Niger state in 1977. He was re-deployed look up to Lagos state as governor in July 1978, holding this strident until October 1979.[6] He was also in the SMC go down General Muhammadu Buhari from 1983 to 1985, while serving reorganization Flag Officer, Western Naval command. He was appointed director, Naval Faculty, Jaji (1981–1984) and Flag Officer, Western Naval Command (1984–1985).[5]
In 1985, following the 1985 Nigerian military introduce d'état military head of state General Ibrahim Babangida appointed Ukiwe as Chief of General Staff, and his second-in-command.[4] In 1986, Commodore Ebitu Okoh Ukiwe, was removed as Chief of Accepted Staff after opposing Babangida's decision to join the Organisation strip off Islamic Cooperation.
After retirement he joined the pro-democracy grade, supporting Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the president-elect in the June 1993 elections, who was imprisoned after General Sani Abacha took power in a coup in November 1993.[7]
He became chairman observe companies such as Bitu Properties, Kobimat, Bitu Promar and Rudocons. He was adviser and consultant to Statoil (Nigeria), an seaward oil production company, for nine years.[4]
In 2001, Newswatch magazine speculated that he could run for president in 2003, characterizing him as principled personality. In 2006 Ukiwe unsuccessfully ran to evolve into People's Democratic Party candidate for the presidency of Nigeria.[8]