Summary

Following the war, it became clear that the leadership was rife with ineptitude, bigotry, mediocrity and corruption. The military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, declared that Nigeria had more money than it knew what to do with. This wealth sparked an era of decadence and decline. Chinua and fellow writers and intellectuals could not merely attribute Nigeria’s problems to the past; they had to deal with them in the present. They needed the right leader for the times, someone with the right background and education.

Chinua joined the leftist Peoples Redemption Party and became its deputy national president. The individual chosen to represent the party would have to agree to a tenure limit and agree not to turn their position into a dynasty to be handed off to a son. Unfortunately, most of the current politicians were mostly interested in their own...