One of the few things you learn quickly as Onyeigbo commenting on national issues is never to open your mouth wide against Ndigbo even when that appears to be the only sensible thing to do. As 2011 election draws near, the high level of scavenging and hypocrisy from politician in the Southeastern Nigeria have once more exposed the political naivety in Igbo nation.
One of the few things you learn quickly as Onyeigbo commenting on national issues is never to open your mouth wide against Ndigbo even when that appears to be the only sensible thing to do. As 2011 election draws near, the high level of scavenging and hypocrisy from politician in the Southeastern Nigeria have once more exposed the political naivety in Igbo nation.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
Suddenly, every politician is seeking political relevance by championing and Igbo cause. Listen to Dora Akunyili recently on the purported zoning of the Senate president to south-Westby PDP; “I want to believe that what was said in the media was not correct. But if it is correct, it is going to be really painful because it means that the Igbo are no longer in Nigeria’s equation. If we are not president, we are not vice-president, we are not Senate president and we are not Speaker, where are we?”
She added that; “It has happened before and I believe this time around, it should not if we really believe in one Nigeria.” Really? Is that you Dora?
Let me first state that I’m that I’m not an apostle of zoning. For a political party like PDP that have adopted zoning to the extent its inclusion in their constitution, I think it’s left for them to decide which zone gets what. If my professor is so much interested in PDP and their zoning wahala, I wonder what she is doing in APGA.
Secondary and most importantly, if she thinks zoning is needed for Ndigbo to remain relevant in Nigerian equation, I wonder what she thinks about zoning in Anambra state for some towns and local governments to remain relevant in the state’s political equation. Hypocrisy?
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });
Rewind: few weeks ago when told that it is unfair for herself, the state Governor Peter Obi and another APGA senatorial candidate Joy Emordi – all from “the same town” – to be contesting for elective positions, she was quick to point out that it has happened before. So, professor Akunyili is deceiving Ndi Anambra Central senatorial zone by championing her believe in one Nigeria on one hand and Five Anambras on the other. Doesn’t common sense tell her that it is painful to Ndi Anambra Central that herself and the state governor are monopolizing political offices in the state?
Professor Akunyili’s actions in the past few months have demonstrated that she is motivated primarily by the basic urge to preserve herself. That was why she stabbed Yara’Dua on the back. That informed her decision to leave PDP for APGA after failing to strike accord with her fellow cabals in the state. Why did I pick on Dora Akunyili? I picked on her because she epitomizes deafening level of hypocrisy in our political discourse.
Professor Akunyili’s action has never been governed by reason or moral consideration. Just like the rest of the governors from southeast, in Akunyili’s imagination, there are no rights or moral relationships to be respected.
The recent and bitter crisis over Nwodo’s leadership has exposed the naivety of PDP governors in the south east. Afraid of the acrimony and power play that will trail attempts to replace Nwodo before the general election; they choose to concede the chairmanship of their party to national vice chairman, Haliru Mohamed. Meanwhile, some of them were also present where the “informal” agreement was reached with President Jonathan that he will only govern for 4 years and the North will present the next candidate under PDP.
Yet, these same governors, including Peter Obi and Ohaneze Ndigbo (who ordinarily you should have expected to know better) are busy telling “Ndigbo that Igbo presidency come 2015 is not negotiable” as Ezeife put it. But I de laugh o. These present crops of politicians pretending to be fighting for odimma Ndigbo are nothing but scavengers that will ultimately leave the position of Ndigbo undefined in the unfolding second order partial political equation in Nigeria.
Peter Obi’s recent romance with PDP is the most disappointing to say the least. For peter Obi, I wonder what happened to the political ideals of APGA (if ever there was any). Will he now leave APGA candidates in the rest of Southeastern states at the mercy of his fellow PDP friends? What happens if or when CAN or CPC succeeds in winning the presidency? If these PDP political vultures in Southeast cannot successfully hold the office of their chairman, what happens when they are given the Nigerian Presidency? These are questions that should be on the minds of our political champions fighting hard to keep Ndigbo relevant in Nigeria’s political equation according to Prof. Akunyili. Where is their common sense?
The truth that will be revealed at the end of the unfolding drama is that no-one person or group can selfishly claim to be representing the interest of Igbo nation. Not the governors all of whom cannot even save their people from kidnappers long after the initiators from Niger Delta have given up the act. The same governors under whose watch universities in the Southeast were recently closed for almost six months. Not Ohaneze like Arewa Consultative Forum that has been torn apart by personal interests.
Dora, Southeast governors and Ohaneze’s recent rhetoric may seem charming but they are dishonest. They may be sweet on the outside but they are hard on the inside. They are coy, temperamental, but mean.
[email protected]
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });