By Nnamdi Nwokedi
The recent revolution in the country, vis-à-vis the electoral success of the All Progressive Congress (APC), at the recently concluded presidential election would for a very long time to come, remain a significant landmark on the nation’s democratic canvas. Although those who had eyes could discern that this was coming in an irreversible certainty, yet not a few pundits were obviously misled by the history of electoral impunity in the country coupled with the common predilection for histrionics and brinkmanship by the nation’s political actors. As it is common with every success, the victory is evidently not in want of those who want to play father to it. There have therefore been claims from various quarters by various characters on the unique interventions they were able to make and which combined to crystallize in the victory. Given that it is a well-known fact of whose efforts actually conduced in this revolution, there might indeed be no use wasting any further commentary on it. What perhaps needs some interrogation is how the Igbos of the South East fumbled so irretrievably to the extent that they have literally dribbled themselves away from the nation’s high points of power. It is disheartening to say the least, that a critical segment of the Nigerian federation such as the Igbo nation, and one of the tripods upon which the nation had stood, (even if precariously), have technically been excluded from the diet of power at a most crucial juncture in the nation’s political history. Who do we blame; the governors of the states in the region who evidently cried more than the bereaved for President Jonathan; or the supine prevaricators and rank pretenders who masquerade as members of the APC in the region? Methinks the two deserve some condemnation but even more so, the later.
Had the governors actually been the real political leaders of the Igbos and not those who were essentially picked by their various godfathers for their apparent incompetence, it would have been expected they would at least have haboured some reservation on their trepid conviction that the PDP which they danced so much to be applauded, had all the 100% certainty of pulling through. If they had thought so, they would have read the implications of Igbos not having anyone of their own elected either as a senator or member of the House of Representatives. Consummate political actors, such as the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubus of this world would have exhibited some deep thinking and even deeper “political engineering” that would have plugged this gaping hole. In succinct language, some “opposition” candidates would have won some seats nonetheless, if only to secure their positions! Even those whose “brother” was the President, for instance Chibuike Amechi and Adams Oshiomole were so visionary to see the future constructively than the so-called docile Igbo leaders in the PDP, APC or APGA.
But no; the governors could not think beyond their dancing steps, and were rather too busy trying to overdo each other on who among their rank would ‘deliver’ all the electoral seats in their various states to the PDP. Thus, one may be tempted to ask, what actually is the essence of the so-called South East Governors Forum, or better still the beggarly group called Ohaneze Ndi Igbo? In 1954, the Yoruba nation found itself in a similar position, but the Egbe Omo Oduduwa was able to rise to the occasion. Overnight, they were able to galvanize the politicians of the former western region and the result was the “infamous” mass defection of the elected members of the NCNC which majority would have given Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe power in the Western Region. Yes, it has been fashionable for some commentators to deprecate this as lacking in ideal, but it was a most portent and expedient action that has helped the Yorubas to keep their heads high in the political ranking of the nation. Today, 60 years on, Ndigbo have not learnt the wisdom in that unique political engineering. As it stands today, there is no Igbo that would get anywhere by way of appointment or structure in the next four years except it is directly approved by either the Yoruba or Huasa Fulani overlords. An Igbo, as presently placed cannot occupy any of the following positions: Vice President, Senate President (or even Deputy); Speaker of the House of Representatives (or even Deputy), Chief Justice of Nigeria; etc!
But what riles most is the fact that instead of contemplating on this unique tragedy, some people are already engaging in street brawls as the ones who deserved to be compensated for all their efforts for the APC in the South East. If truth be told, this is indeed the time for the APC to begin to recruit membership in the South East instead of promoting some people for their crass indolence or outright perfidy. No one who presently claims membership of the party in the South East does deserve any path on the back. If anything, they are more of problems for the party than a solution. From Chris Ngige, through Rochas Okorocha, and down to Ogbonnia Onu, not to talk about the rest charlatans, it would be preposterous to celebrate their failings. It is obvious none of them expected that the APC would win; and this is easily gleaned not only from the results posted in their various states, but even more so by the profligate carelessness with which they individually and collectively misappropriated the huge sums of money doled out to them by the national leadership of ‘their’ party.
During last gubernatorial election in Anambra State for instance, some close associates of the party’s candidate complained about how so much greed took a better part of the leadership of the party in the state such that even Gov. Fashola of Lagos State had to admonish that the largesse should be allowed to trickle down! Can anyone explain the abysmal performance of APC in the presidential election in Imo state vis-à-vis the sterling showing the party was able to post at the governorship contest only two weeks thereafter? The APC should realize they cannot govern this country peacefully, fairly and equitably while excluding the South-East and South-South flank of the country. But it would as well be reveling in deceit to assume that the present crop of people from the area who are masquerading as members should be taken seriously. With the exception of few souls, for instance, those lonely voices, Barrister Uzoamaka Onyeama, Emeka Nwajiuba and Julius Ucha who have been irrevocably committed to the ideals of AC; ACN, and now APC, there is hardly any more that should be counted. The rest either joined the party because they were dispossessed of what they had wrongly assumed was their birthright in the PDP, or supine desperadoes who after Gen Buhari had been declared victorious decided to take refuge in the party in order to avoid effective prosecutions by the EFCC, including the likes of former governors Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Chimaroke Nnamani, Ikedi Ohakim, Ifeanyi Ararume, Bartholomew Nnaji, Pat Utomi and, wait for it: Jim Nwobodo!
There was nothing the APC leadership, even in the milieu of various corruption charges against them, did not do to woo them to join the party before the campaigns. They all treated their emissaries with utmost contempt and cynical levity. Some of them preferred to be a kingfishes in electoral ponds, for instance Chimaroke’s PDC misadventure, to collaborating with other civic-minded Nigerians in the struggle to rescue the country. Today, they so desperately claim membership of the party if only perhaps, to continue to evade prosecution by the EFCC. In a claim that is reminiscent of his hubris, Chimaroke even boasted that he could change the fortunes of the APC in Enugu State after the presidential election in 10 days! Yet, this is a man that was roundly defeated by Senator Gil Nnaji for the second time running.
Ogbonnia Onu might have remained in opposition politics all this while, but I am afraid to note he has not added any visible value to all the parties he had belonged to in the region. For instance the fortunes of the former ANPP in his native state Ebonyi nose-dived by the clearly unfair and incestuous manner with which he constituted the leadership of the party in the state. His younger brother was the deputy chairman while his sister was the state women leader among others! Many people chose to leave the party when it became obvious it was a family matter. Neither does Okorocha’s histrionics inspire anyone on the salient values being espoused by his adopted party, the APC in the region. The Igbo nation certainly deserves consummate leadership beyond the dancing steps and histrionicism of a Rochas Okorocha; the sort that could cast a vision and inspire the populace. For Chris Ngige, he evidently suffers from castration complex, and is quite content with the shout of ‘ONWA AA’ by some street urchins and venal louts than in the comfort and company of reasonable Igbo compatriots that would have planned with him. Needless commenting on some other rolling stones in the likes of Acho Obioma and Nyerere of Abia state, Emma Eneukwu and Okey Ezea of Enugu State, or the George Moghalu and Phil Agbasi of Anambra state. The tragic reality of Igbo politics lies in the fact that increasingly, the best among us are without conviction while the worst are filled with passionate intensity. We have allowed power to be exercised by only the sufficiently wicked and viciously venal. Somehow, we have submitted ourselves to the leadership of the crude and ignorant. The so-called members of the APC in the zone have exhibited so much hopelessness and paralysis of the will that they deserve more of condemnation instead of promotion..
Nwokedi, a social critic, lives in Awka, Anambra State