By Chioma Gabriel, Editor Special Features
As 2019 general elections approach fast, nationalities
across Nigeria are strategizing and negotiating into the
heart of the party under which platform they hope to
realise their dreams. The Igbo whose position have been
precarious in the Nigerian political landscape don’t seem
to know which way to go.
Igbos have been hoping for a day Nigeria will produce a
president of southeast extraction. But they are not united.
On top of it, Igbo play bad politics. They support others
blindly and emotionally without negotiating, believing
power will be given to them on a platter. Many politicians
from the southeast appear to be under the illusion that
after Buhari would have completed his tenure in 2023,it
would be the turn of the Igbo.
Igbo
Igbos have missed so many chances. Since the return of
democracy in 1999, the people seem to be groping in the
dark. They have been waiting for their turn to produce the
president of Nigeria.
Some believe that Dr Alex Ekwueme was betrayed at the
PDP Jos convention when Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo was
brought out of prison and imposed as PDP’s presidential
candidate. Some Igbo believe that it was akin to what
they did to Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe in the first republic.
After winning an election in Lagos, the table suddenly turned
and he was out. He was betrayed overnight.
The Igbo need to deliver themselves from the ‘almost
there’ syndrome.
Aside the great Dr Azikiwe and Dr Alex Ekwueme, the
present crop of Igbo political leaders appear weak,
lacking what it takes to negotiate profitably for their
people.
Just towards the end of January, a powerful delegation
of Igbo APC leaders made up of Ogbonnaya Onu,
Minister of Science and Technology led a delegation to
Buhari and endorsed him for another term in office. They
said the president has done enough to merit a second
term.
That delegation comprised Deputy Governor of Imo Stat
Eze Madumere, who represented Rochas Okorocha,
serving members of the national assembly, former
governors, all the ministers from the south-east,
members of the national working committee and national
executive committee of the APC.
They endorsed Buhari without negotiating the terms of
endorsement. What will Buhari do for Ndigbo if they
support him in 2019? And the delegation was happy that
the president was happy with them.
It was not the first time Igbo leaders would play daft.
During the time of Jonathan, the southeast blindly
endorsed him without negotiating what would benefit the
Igbo. Just like the delegation that met Buhari, the Igbo
endorsed Jonathan before his party even did so. At the
end of the day, Jonthan did nothing for them. He did not
construct a single road in Igboland. He only rewarded
individuals who backed him. As a matter of fact, he rolled
back the Igbo presidency. Hence a politician like Chief
Paul Unongo dared to say that Jonathan was the
realisation of Igbo presidency.
By the time Jonathan was warming up for another term in
office he made a million promises which he hoped would
be fulfilled in his second term.
To strategize for this, former Anambra governor, Mr
Peter Obi decamped from All Progressive Grand Alliance,
APGA, to the PDP. And for Jonathan’s second term in
office, Igbo leaders made up of then Secretary to the
Federal Government, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim; Deputy
Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; then Deputy Speaker
of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha;
Senator Hope Uzodinma; then Minister of Labour &
Productivity, Emeka Wogu; then National Publicity
Secretary PDP, Mr Olisa Metuh; Mr Ifeanyi Ubah and
former Governor Peter Obi stormed Dover Hotel at Lekki
Phase 1 Lagos to woo Ndigbo Lagos for President
Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 presidential bid.
At Dover Hotel, they met eminent and prominent Igbo
leaders, namely then President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo,
Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey; President Ndigbo Lagos,
Professor Anya. O. Anya; President Aka Ikenga, Chief
Goddy Uwazurike; former Chairman Diamond Bank, Chief
Pascal Dozie; former Governor of Lagos State, Rear
Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu(rtd); former President of Nigerian
Stock Exchange, Dr Raymond Obieri; Eze Ndigbo of Ikeja,
Eze Uche Dimgba and then President Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Lagos, Fabian Onwughalu and many other eminent Igbos
in Lagos.
They campaigned support for Jonathan’s
second term in office.
But Jonathan lost the election. The south east also lost
out. The Pharaoh who did not know ‘Joseph’ came into
power and the fate of the south east deteriorated from
playing third, fourth fiddle to playing no fiddle at all.
Ofcourse, nothing is wrong with endorsing President
Buhari for another term in office if they felt his
government was good but what is there for the Igbo
whose leaders in APC went to endorse him?
What were
the terms and conditions of the endorsement? Will Buhari
address the Igbo question?
Will he work for Igbo Presidency or even the good of the
Igbo? This government has never spoken about an Igbo
in a positive way. It has never made any promises, given
juicy appointments or tried in any way to make the people
happy. Each time an issue about the Igbo comes up, the
people will be talked down on, intimidated and made to
look foolish.
In the midst of these, their self-serving nature has not
helped matters. They work for their private pockets.
The APC leaders who endorsed Buhari believe he will
hand over to the southeast if they support him in 2019.
Did they discuss that with him? Or were they happy that
the South East has the least number of states in Nigeria,
the least number of Senators, least number of House of
Reps members, the least number of State House of
Assembly members, least number of Ministers at the
federal level, least revenue allocation, least federal
presence or investment, least local governments, least
wards and the least of everything in Nigeria?
And the endorsers came back commending Buhari on
efforts he is making to ensure there is development in the
south-east. What efforts? Railways were mapped out
across states in Nigeria and south east got none.
The south east did not get any position of consequence in the
present administration. Did Buhari promise them better
things in 2019? Will he make an Igbo man his running
mate?
Will he give them the position of Secretary to the
Government of the Federation,SGF? Will he reconstitute
the security agencies to have at least two Igbo at the
helm of affairs? Political appointments may not even
matter. What projects will be cited in Igboland to create
jobs? What development programmes will he consider for
the South East?
Or don’t Ndigbo have the resources and manpower to
lead the nation? They should stop speaking from different
sides of the mouth so as to become relevant in the
political landscape of the country.
Unless the people are united, 2023 will be an illusion
because the reckoning system has changed . In the past,
it used to be Hausa , Yoruba, Igbo but now, its Hausa,
Yoruba, South-South, then Igbo. Now, everybody
denigrates, disregards and talks down on the people.
They have slipped from being one of Nigeria’s largest and
significant ethnic groups. After Azikiwe and Alex
Ekwueme, the Igbo’s political influence have reduced .
The pronounced disunity and infighting among the Igbo
would make it difficult for them to make any kind of
progress in politics. Those who went to endorse Buhari
went for their own selfish reasons. These southeast APC
leaders never showcased what Buhari promised the Igbo.
From all indications, in the next 20 years, an Igbo man
may not rule Nigeria. The people are known for playing
bad politics.
Other major ethnic groups have schemed to dominate
political power. The Igbo nation has failed to make its
influence count politically at the centre since the country’s
return to democratic rule in the Fourth Republic. And even
as the presidential candidates emerged, they have all
carefully avoided picking an Igbo as deputy. They do not
matter any more politically. Obasanjo picked Atiku.
Yar’Adua picked Jonathan. Jonathan picked another
northerner. The south east was nowhere.
The Igbo was avoided like a plague.
When the pro-Biafra agitators started, the idea was to
bring the Igbo question to the fore-front and many
supported them but along the line, it was clear the
agitation became a personal business enterprise of the
leaders of the agitation.
The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr
Nnamdi Kanu started well,gathered support but shot
himself on the knee when he left the Igbo question to
start addressing inconsequential ethnic issues, and then
transformed himself into a god that his followers now
bowed down to kiss his feet, forgetting God is a jealous
God.
He began to equate himself with The Christ and his
followers began to say he was greater than the Christ. At
that point, it was obvious he had lost control and Igbo
elders looked the other way when he stopped listening to
them.
They rest is history.
Igbos play the worst politics—Okorocha
Lamenting the position of Igbos in today’s Nigeria, Imo
State Governor, Rochas Okorocha said that Igbo play the
worst politics in Nigeria. It could be true but he is also
playing a leading role in the wrong direction.
According to him, “Igbo have to change their strategy, in
order to reclaim their relevance in Nigeria’s power
equation. Quote me anywhere, Igbo play the worst politics
in Nigeria. Today, Hausa have realised they can win an
election without Igbo. Now, they believe with the
combined massive populations of Lagos and Kano, they
no longer need Igbo to win, hence, the latest alliance
between Hausa and Yoruba.
“So, where is Igbo today in Nigerian politics? I have
always said Igbo have this feeling of abandonment.
Check it out, no Hausa man living in the south-east owns
a duplex neither can you see a Yoruba man who lives in a
room and parlour apartment of his own or an investment
worth N20 million in Igboland. But, should Nigeria break
up today, Igbo will lose trillions in property and other
investments in Lagos, the north and other parts of the
country.
“The south-south has produced a president, the south-
west has produced a president and vice president while
the north has produced many presidents. IPOB activities
created fears in the minds of Hausa and other ethnic
nationalities in the country that once Igbo becomes
president, they would secede”.
There’s nothing like Igbos turn to produce president—
Chekwas Okorie
Founder of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and
later United Progressive Party, UPP, Chief Chekwas
Okorie reacting to the scenario expressed dismay over the
political position of the Igbo in Nigeria.
Okorie told Saturday Vanguard: “It’s been the concern of
the mainstream Igbo leaders. The only time Ndigbo got
something out of Nigeria was in the first and second
republics because the great Zik and Ekwueme negotiated.
Since then, nothing has happened to benefit Igbo in
Nigeria.
It was for this reason that I founded APGA and practically
dragged Dim Emeka Ojukwu to contest on its platform
after others refused to contest. We supported the PDP
presidential candidates in the time of Yar’Adua and
Jonathan without negotiation.
Now, nobody has the courage to negotiate. But in UPP,
we have incorporated restructuring and State police in our
manifesto. We have zoned the presidency to the
southeast. Our people have been talking about their turn
since 1999 and it keeps shifting. Now, it has shifted to
2023.
This idea of turn is not in Nigerian constitution. Who told
the Igbo that they will have their turn? The people should
come out and contest election and negotiate their support
for anybody. In UPP, Kingsley Moghalu said he will
contest presidential election and UPP adopted him for
2019.
The only answer to the agitation is to contest. Former
President Ibrahim Babangida said last year that he would
support an Igbo who wants to contest presidential
election. Presidency is not a community issue and its not
a regional issue. Its something that needs somebody with
courage.
If Kingsley Moghalu does not chicken out, I’m
sure all will be well.”
Ambassador George Obiozor
In his own reaction to the Igbo question, former
ambassador to the United States, George Obiozor said:
“The Igbo thing is not about the Igbo being president.
Who told you that if an Igbo man becomes president,
there will be no more problems? If the Igbo man is partial,
if the Igbo man is parochial, if the Igbo man is biased,
then the people will also vote against him.
What Nigeria needs is a great leader, a good leader. In
fact, Nigeria has reached a point where the leadership of
the country is not determined by where you come from
but your ability in terms of what you can offer to the
country, what you can do. If a leader is good, you don’t
even ask where he comes from.
“Countries that have good leaders don’t even bother
about where the leaders come from. But when a country
has a problem such as we have and nothing is being
done as quickly as possible as a response to the national
crisis, then what do you think the people would do?
“Everything is lopsided in Nigeria. Take a look yourself at
any institution you like and examine the level of equity in
it.
Look at the issue of federal revenue allocation. Look at
the issue of revenue from oil and how it is shared. The
details will shock you. Go and find the list of
appointments in Nigeria in different areas. The list will
shock you. Go and see even the list of retirements in
Nigeria in some of the agencies. The list will shock you.
So, the issue we are talking about is emanating from the
failure of leadership and insensitivity in the way we do
things.
“Every zone has six states but South-East has five. Is that
good? And if they speak ,you’d say they are talking about
marginalisation. A just leader will not leave things that
way. If that visible difference is not marginalisation, then
what is it? It affects everything else: revenue sharing,
membership in the federal house, membership in the
senate and everything affecting the south east. When the
people are complaining, a good leader should look into
what is going on and redress injustice whether it is real or
imagined.
“The average Igbo knows he is suffering because the civil
war of over 50 years ago never ended. There is no doubt
that the war didn’t end. It continued in other ways. People
are asking what Igbos want in Nigeria and I tell you,
Igbos want justice. People who ask what Igbos want are
so prejudiced and narrow-minded.
What the Igbos want is unity but not unity of slaves and
masters. “The leaders are failing the people, they are not
speaking with one voice. People are putting the blame on
them but you have to see that even these are victims of
the system. And what voice are you looking for? A people
cannot speak with one voice when they have been
intimidated and frightened as the people of South East.
The South-East people have been frightened by the
system. How can they control what they didn’t create??
The Igbo and their leaders are victims of the system they
find themselves. That is the lopsidedness of the federal
system. The citizens of South-East are in near-permanent
disadvantage. So, you have to look at the situation in a
wholistic way.”
Igbo are treated as conquered people—Mbazulike
Amaechi
First Republic politician, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi had
this to say: “More than any other race in Nigeria, the
South-East, the Igbo have been dealt with especially since
the end of the civil war. They were treated at all times as
a conquered people. The Igbo have been treated as
slaves. During the Shagari era, the South-East got a
reprieve.
But simply because of a feeling that the South-East might
get into power, Buhari staged a military coup and took
over the government. Everybody knew it at that time. So,
the Igbos have been treated as slaves in this country and
it is time to put a stop to it because the other areas are
beginning to sympathise with Igbos. Look, if we don’t
come to terms with the Igbo question, there will be a
terrible implosion or explosion.
The people are collectively suffering. They are
collectively being punitively treated?They are victims.
Even those who go to Abuja to collect hand-outs are all
victims. They are suffering together.”
Our problems started from not having free, fair and
credible elections—Maria Okwor
An associate of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe in the second republic
and leader of the Igbo Women Assembly, Maria Okwor
had this to say: “What we had in the past worked better
for us. I’m talking about regions and the time people like
Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Awolowo held sway.
Every region developed at its own pace and contributed to
the centre. Now, reverse is the case. They just gave you
anything they liked from the centre. This presidential
system that we operate today, I have always maintained
that it is too wasteful and encourages corruption.
See what is happening in our country: imposition of
candidates and leadership failure. Nigeria has not got it
right with leadership. Nigerians are not allowed to choose
the people they want to lead them. They just impose
people on the electorate and when they assume office,
they don’t care about anybody except themselves, their
families and friends.
Some will even tell you that whether you vote or not, a
winner must emerge. We have been battling with square
pegs in round holes. That is the origin of our problems.
The South-East is on the spot. The situation is dicey. Igbo
cannot continue being slaves in this country.”
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