Final answer:
The character that represents both the traditional Ibo life and its challenges is not explicitly stated, but Okonkwo from Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart could be seen in this role.
Step-by-step explanation:
The character in the narrative that serves as a representation of the old way of Ibo life and simultaneously exemplifies the presence of seeds leading to its undoing even before the arrival of the colonizers is not explicitly mentioned in the provided reference material. However, Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart often is studied in this context. In Achebe's narrative, the character of Okonkwo could be seen as embodying traditional Ibo values and norms, yet his own actions and the internal conflicts within the society foreshadow its eventual downfall with the coming of European colonization. The importance of body marks among the Ibo, as recalled by Olaudah Equiano, indicates the value of status and belonging; the Ikenga figure shows a connection to society and power. Senegalese author Mariama Ba speaks to the assimilationist dream of the colonist that threatened traditional ways of life, illustrating how, despite the strong cultural roots of the Ibo, their society contained the seeds of its future undoing which the colonial powers exacerbated.