It was the late Revolutionary Comrade, Marxist Economist and Radical
Scholar, Esko Toyo who established in 1991 at Imo State (now Abia
State) University Uturu during the declining days of the former USSR
that, “if Joseph Stalin made a mistake by introducing communism,
Mikhail Gorbachev was equally negative for dismantling it.”
Similarly, if at all the South-East geopolitical region made a mistake
during the 2015 presidential election by not voting for Buhari or by
casting their votes in one direction as the wise saying goes, putting
ones eggs in one basket; the current position of South East APC
leaders in addressing the so-called mistake is negative because their
position is beggarly, self-centered, myopic, ridiculous, hasty,
betrayal, lack clear ideological content and political sagacity and
not in tandem with current political realities as canvassed
subsequently.
Abinito, I must sound this note of warning that APC South – East
leaders should stop blaming and ridiculing the region for not giving
Buhari bloc or massive votes. The appropriate time to blame the region
is at the end of Buhari’s tenure in 2019. If Buhari excels as a
leader, it becomes timely and justified to appropriate blames on the
South-East for lacking the foresight to be part of the winning and
success team. However, if Buhari fails at the end of his four year
tenure, the South East will be exonerated, vindicated and exculpated
for not being part of the disastrous team that brought woes for the
country and the vision and sagacity of the South – East will be
celebrated.
It is therefore hasty and early to start apportioning blames to the
South-East for not voting for Buhari en-bloc. The performance of
Buhari at the end of his tenure will determine the nature of blame on
the South-East.
If at all there will be any blame on the South-East at this point,
such blame should be heaped on the South-East leaders who failed to
use their sensitive and resource allocation positions during the 16
year PDP tenure to appropriate gigantic projects for the region. We
should blame our Senators like Ken Nnamani and Jim Nwobodo who were
sabotaging themselves in the upper chambers and who produced five
Senate Presidents in 8 years and could not do tangible things for
their people while the North Central Zone produced only one Senate
President in 8 years. We should blame such leaders like Anyim Pius
Anyim who was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for
four years having previously served as the Senate President and do not
have much to show to his people for all these lucrative positions. We
should equally blame the South-East leaders who hid under the
camouflage of the region to enrich their personal pockets at the
expense of their people.
The point I am trying to make is that we should realize where and when
to apportion blame on the South – East. After all, what is wrong with
opposition status? The South – East had been in the main stream
politics for 16 years but could not utilize the opportunity well.
Buhari emerged from excruciating opposition to main position and the
same status was applicable to the South – West. At no point did they
ridicule themselves because they were in opposition. Opposition is a
period of deep reflection for wise political strategies and
re-alignment of political forces. It is not a period of committing
political gaffes just like the APC South East leaders did in Owerri
recently.
The Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha recently hosted
South East APC leaders meeting in Owerri where the forum decided among
others to support PMB for re-election in 2019 and clinch the
Presidency in 2023. The forum pronounced the former Senate President
and new entrant to the party, Ken Nnamani as the Apex leader of the
party in the zone and revealed that 3 South-East Governors were on
their way to the party. Those who attended the meeting had barely
reached their various homes when the outcomes of the meeting started
generating heat and opprobrium.
Not only that the South-East Governors distanced themselves from APC,
the Governors of Imo and Anambra States used gutter language to wash
their dirty linens in the public. The Ebonyi State chapter of the
party openly and vehemently rejected Ken Nnamani as the Apex leader of
the party in the zone and instead named Chief Ogbonnaya Onu who had
labored for the party right from day one as the Apex leader. The
Owerri meeting had continued to generate heated debate, discordant
tunes, insults and controversies among Igbo Elite.
In comparison, it was the strategic politics played by the South-West
that made political gladiators in Nigeria cede power to the region in
- After late MKO Abiola’s presidential victory was thwarted in
1993; the South West almost let hell loose in the country. They were
united, vocal, violent, consistent, strategic and tactical in
demanding for the redress of that injustice.
They formed NADECO as a platform to realize their dream and the group
vociferously fought for the realization despite dissenting voice from
their people like Obasanjo. The North got back power in 2015 with
terrible propaganda; united political forces; super political
strategies and tactics. The G7 made up of mainly Northern Governors
were united in canvassing for the return of power to the North in
- The North unleashed serious propaganda and blackmail against
former President Goodluck Jonathan and then ruling PDP after forming
the mega party – APC. They were indirect threats of violence should
Nigeria fail to return power to the North in 2015.
I argue that South – East APC leaders’ position is beggarly because
their demand is not strong and not backed by any threat unlike what
was obtainable in South – West and the North before they got power.
You do not beg for power but you struggle and negotiate for it. They
ignored the marginalization and humiliation of Ndigbo by the present
administration as if Igobs are no longer Nigerians. They tied the
political destiny of a strong Nation like Igbo to the personal
ambition of an individual who we are not sure easily forgives others.
They threw away Biafran struggle which is the only reason why national
political gladiators are giving credence to the South East.
They should have strongly negotiated for 2019 first before finally
settling with 2023. The North negotiated for 2011 before they got
- This is the secret of diplomacy. The leaders spoke to the air
without having anybody in mind for any response. Their position should
have been presented in meetings and documented demands to PMB and APC
National Chairman who will study the matter and thereafter respond.
They should have bargained with Biafran struggle. Give us power and we
shall pacify the Biafran agitators. It is self-centered championed by
expired and desperate politicians, contractors who need relevance,
patronage and presidential tickets respectively. The APC South-East
leaders position is myopic because it lacked wide consultation and
tilted towards one direction otherwise Ogbonnaya Onu or Rochas
Okorocha should have been named as the South East APC apex leader.
Ken Nnamani is new in the party and need to wait for sometime before
such status. Justice demands that too. Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and
the South-East Governors who recently distanced themselves from APC
were not consulted before dropping their names as possible or
potential members of the party. The wider spectrum of Ibo political
stakeholders both in Nigeria and abroad were not consulted before the
Owerri meeting otherwise its outcomes would not have been challenged
as such. It was supposed to be an Igbo affair and not only APC affair.
Their position is also ridiculous because the outcome of the meeting
is a subject of public odium and abuses. It was a hasty decision
because it rejected former President Obasanjo’s call for Presidency to
go the South-East in 2019 for equity, justice, fairplay and sense of
belonging. They should have trusted Obasanjo because the man had done
it before for the South-South by promoting former President Goodluck
Jonathan’s Presidency. Even if they did not adopt Obasanjo’s position,
they should have used it as a tool for political bargain and
negotiation. As an associate Northerner, I felt the feelings of most
Northerners agreeing with Obasanjo’s position at least for the unity
of Nigeria but the hasty Owerri meeting has scattered everything. Many
South-Easterners felt betrayed that the meeting threw away Obasanjo’s
position. The ideological content of the meeting is not clear. The
meeting obviously did not mention Biafra and restructuring and could
not produce a sound roadmap for the Ibo Presidency. Put differently,
the meeting is suffering from a State of political syncretism or
confusion.
The position of the meeting was not sagacious because it did not take
popular decisions that can stand the test of time. Among others, their
position was not in line with current realities. They should have used
Biafran struggle as a tool for negotiation assuring political
stakeholders that if South – East was fully integrated in mainstream
politics; they could use that to pacify the agitators. They should
have urged the federal Government to stop killing armless, harmless
and peaceful Biafran demonstrators. With the current hatred against
the Igbos in the Nigeria project; Biafran identity which is a peaceful
project not necessarily for secession is a strong political and
negotiating tool for the region after all the Southwest unleashed
mayhem in Nigeria before they got power in 1999 while there were
series of threats of making this country ungovernable before the North
got power in 2015.
As it is now, the APC South – East leaders meeting is a failure. As a
saving grace, the John Nwodo led Ohaneze should establish a
consultation committee which will consult locally, nationally and
internationally on the political destiny of the South – East people.
Comrade Okadigbo, a pro-democracy activist and media practitioner
writes from Abuja via: innoebirim@gmail.com
