….our unity and northern support sacrosanct.
Comr. Noble Ewurum
Akabo, Ikeduru LGA
Imo State
14th May, 2024.
“A National consensus for Igbo Presidency cannot evolve until the core North forgives the Igbos for the killing of Sardauna of Sokoto by Nigerian soldiers of Igbo extraction in the 1966 coup,” – Dr. Doyin Okupe (Former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan), March 2021.
When he made this comment, many Igbos including me demanded for his head which forced him to retract his comment and tender an unreserved apology to Ndigbo.
In recent times, I have taken a critical look at the political dynamics of our country, and I am tempted to agree with Dr. Doyin Okupe on one side of the coin and on the other side, We are our bigger problem.
“The people from the southeast have the capacity to lead this country but they have the problem of leadership”
“They are so endowed that they are spread all over Nigeria and they can gather a lot of votes, BUT THEY ARE TOO DIVIDED. An Imo person, an Enugu person, an Ebonyi man will not listen to themselves.”
“They have the resources. If they sit down and aggregate what they can offer, they have more resources than almost everybody in Nigeria.”
“Again! very importantly, If Igbos are not investing in the structure of the party, forget it because he who pays the piper dictates the tune.”
” You must invest in the structure of the party, so that you will be able to determine who is going to be part of that structure because they are the ones to do the zoning, they are the ones to do the convention to pick a presidential candidate, so if you are not part of them, you are out. So if any easterner is interested, let him start now to invest in the structure of the party.” – Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, (ex-lawmaker and former minister of works during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration) said this on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 on the Arise TV The Morning Show.
In addition, an Adamawa-born scholar and political tactician lampooned the current Igbo political elite for witch-hunting themselves which is responsibility for our political sluggishness; he also expresses the undiluted feelings of an average northerner, this is what he said;
“All attempts to make late Sen. Chuba Okadigbo to become the President in 2007 was scuttled by the political elites in Igbo land. To be honest with you, the North feels that the political naivety of the people of the south east has been exposed because I don’t see how people with the intelligence, education, experience and the spread the Igbo have in this country and even beyond could be talking about secession when you own the whole of Nigeria as far as we are concerned.”
“We stand to be corrected and you are now talking of limiting yourself to the south east you call Biafra. I mean, this is the height of political naivety. How I wish the likes of Chuba Okadigbo were alive. With his political sagacity he would have really called the Igbos to order.”
“As the landlord of Nigeria why should you be talking of going back to a small hamlet called Biafra? Honestly this is my opinion and I believe this is the opinion of most people in the North. People that are so blessed throughout the country. Is it not the Igbo that owns this country, you think it is the Hausa-Fulani? The Hausa-Fulani doesn’t own this country. It is the Igbo that owns this country. You find them all over this country not as shoe shiners, nail cutters or water hewers. You find them as businessmen making money, owning properties, and creating wealth.” – Senator Abubakar Girei, ex-federal lawmaker and former vice-chairman of the Northern Socio-cultural group, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in September 24, 2017
The above submissions by these two great leaders was concurred by one of our finest industrialists, philanthropist and business tycoon, Prince Arthur Eze on the 9th July 2020.
He said ; “Igbos are the enemies of themselves, not the north or any other people. When I was making efforts for the actualisation of the Zone 13 headquarters in Anambra State, I did not get the needed cooperation from Igbo stakeholders. Many thought I was doing it for selfish interest. What do I need it for, if not for our collective interest? The same thing is applicable to Igbo quest for presidency. Some people are agitating for presidency, but when the time comes, some stakeholders will sing discordant tunes. Some of us will be begging for vice presidential slots. We must be united as Igbo people, if we are to take our pride of place in this bigger entity called Nigeria,”
The question is, does it mean that the Igbos lack discipline or are not good in politics according to Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu (October 31, 2016).
Where and how did we miss it politically ? It is not yet late to redeem our pride of place.
Interestingly, it is a political reality that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will remain in power till 2031 whether Nigerians like it or not due to our faulty political system and thereafter handover to a Northerner who will lead the country till 2039, then power will return to the South, this time the Igbos must be united, well prepared and positioned to produce the President.
Furthermore, Ndigbo must invest in the party structure, embrace all political parties, form alliances and despise none.
The current retiring political elite must begin to heal wounds, foster peace and unity in the region; groom and expose the younger generations politically and assist in fraternizing deeply with the North (large voting strength) so as to gain the confidence and support of the northerners towards realizing the Igbo Presidency in 2039.
ONYE KWE, CHI YA EKWE!
