They don’t make them like Alex Ekwueme anymore. He was a refined politician. If there’s one thing Dr. Alex Ekwueme gifted Nigerian politics, it is that you can still play the game without coming across as dirty and unrefined.Nigeria’s first elected Vice President was the genially sophisticated politician, properly groomed, soft spoken, idealistic and eternally calm.As he advanced in age, his greying hair conferred him with something resembling an angelic mien. They don’t make them quite like Ekwueme anymore. Until his death, he remained a one political party man in the fourth republic. He stayed loyal to the PDP—a political party he helped form from the crucible–warts and all. Even defeats at the PDP primaries of 1999 and 2003 weren’t enough to dampen Ekwueme’s love for democracy, for his political party.
