March 27, (THEWILL) – The 2023 general elections came with high hope for Nigerians, who believed in a “renewed” credibility of the INEC. Citizens picked their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) with all zealousness. The government, itself, made an effort to ensure the uncollected ones were issued to the owners.
There is a rising level of grievance by those that felt the elections were not fairly and transparently conducted by the electoral umpire. Their body language is not reading the acceptability of the polls’ outcome. Accusing fingers are pointed at Prof Mahmood, the INEC boss, over the manipulation of results.
Earlier, the Southeast had agitated about being completely sidelined from Incorporated into the scheme of things. The six States with visible desperation to be ceded power, are eager to see a positive change. Before the February 25th and March 18th Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and States’ Assemblies elections, the Igbo had planned to vote for the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, as President.
They exhibited this sense of oneness and patriotism in the Rhema of “New Nigeria envisaged to come forth into the system. But lo and behold, the exercise has become history. Some are jubilating; while others are mourning. That is the game. Politics does not favour everyone that plays it- entailing loss and gains.
The declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) standard flagbearer, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, had received a knock from mostly, majority of people in the Southeast and other parts of the country. Why? It was their strong belief that the Labour Party would have produced the 2023 President of Igbo extraction.
After the civil war in Nigeria, General Yakubu Gowon, the Nigerian Head of State of Nigeria inaugurated the 3Rs – Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reintegration. He also declared to the whole world that the war had ended with a “No Victor No Vanquished” stand with the aim of healing fast, the wounds and pains of the war so as to make the reintegration of the easterners into Nigeria fast.
After the war, contrary to the Nigerian government’s declaration of “No Victor No Vanquished”, the Nigerian army, under the watch of Col. Olusegun Obasanjo, Col. Hassan Katsina and Col. I.D Bisalla arrested some Biafran soldiers, particularly of note was Col. Tim Nwuatuegwu and executed them in cold blood. Despite this crime, the Igbos were fortunate that the Nigerian Army officers that Biafra surrendered to, were not Islamist extremists who would have seized the opportunity to wipe out virtually all the abled body male in Biafra land and thereby completely conquer the Igbos.
The Igbo re-integrated by surrendering and returning to Nigeria as they returned to the North, the West, the Midwest, the South and all over the Federation to settle and do business but they were never rehabilitated by the Nigerian government or at their State level.
None of the devastated Communities destroyed, such as houses, schools, hospitals, markets and public buildings, et cetera, were reconstructed by the Nigerian government. Rather, the reconstructions carried out all over the Eastern Region were done by the Igbos through communal and private individual efforts.
From the above incident, one could reasonably discern that the Igbo had suffered humiliations in the past and they had looked forward to having been deeply accommodated, given the ample opportunity to rule or even be sovereign as an independent State. The 2023 general election, however, was not conducted in a transparent manner as alleged by many Nigerians.
The President-elect, His Excellency, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, has a very big task before him. Accommodating the most marginalised part of the country; The Southeast should be his first priority in this forthcoming administration as President, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In life, it is advisable to shock your detractors in order to strike out certain speculations that might have clouded their sense of reasoning, thinking and perception. The unity of Nigeria should not be feigned with a wave of hand now the agitation is rising from a particular group that feels hated, sidelined, suppressed and pained.
This is time for the elected Governors and National Assembly members from the Igbo- speaking states to rise to the occasion. The crisis could be diplomatically averted now that agitation has become glaring in the system and polity is heated more and more than ever. The recent polls have continued to dominate discussions in every circle.
Alternatively, the Presidency should consider the release of the leader of the Independent People of Biafra, (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whose continued detention has elicited mixed reactions and feelings. Anyway, let it be assumed that his release shall take place soon. The outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari would grant him bail not that the elections are over.
It was earlier alleged that President Buhari was alerted of the clandestine plot by the detained Kanu to truncate the 2023 elections that had been concluded. The purpose for which he was arrested appears to have been achieved- hence his release should not be hesitatingly ignored.
Ohaneze Ndigbo, (The Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation), which was led by Late Prof. George Obiozor, to mince no words, never stood on its ground to condemn the subjugation under which the Southeast people had been subjected to. It is time the leader of this group should rise up to the responsibility that mandates it to protect the interest of Ndi Igbo.
Nigerian unity should be encouraged to prevail because many citizens see Igbo as lower than the dust. They have only Six States, They had not been allowed to hold strategic appointments and other suppression meted on them, and their spirit of enterprise had never been appreciated. Mind you, the killings, land grabbing, destruction of farmlands, lies, deception, embezzlement, frauds, corruption, nepotism, plus a host of other deficiencies Nigerians are known for, the Southeast is not immune.
I have a question to ask: What if, at the end of Peter Obi’s legal battle in the law Court with President-elect Ahmed Bola Tinubu and nothing happens, what would be the fate of the Igbo in Nigeria? Would they be maltreated for massively casting their votes for the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi? Are the Igbo going to gain the much-needed dividends of democracy they had longed for? It is on record that so many developmental infrastructures had eluded Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra States.
But, let us bear in mind that Governor Hope Uzodimma, through President Buhari, attracted many Federal projects to Imo. They include; the upgrading of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University College of Education (AIFUE), Owerri, The lifting of the former FMC to Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), That of the Imo Airport to Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport and others.
Imo Governor has this belief that if the ongoing Orashi River dredging at Oguta is completed, it will not only serve as a good corridor for the Navy to access other waterways to discharge their duties effectively but will serve as a huge economic source in the Southeast States.
It is not too late to start restrategizing on what should be done in order to amicably disarm the aggrieved ones that feel pained in their spirits. Everyone knows that things have never worked well in the entire South East States. Their last hope is now on the incoming administration of President Bola Tinubu.
More States should be created in the Southeast, Action should be expedited on the ongoing Federal projects across the region, The presidency should increase the monthly allocation to the States in the area, and the Igbo- speaking areas should have seaports within their States in order to enhance socio-economic development- thereby quelling that urge for an uproar.
The sitting and incoming Governors of the Southeast States are to see their positions as avenues to bring to bear on their love for their fatherland; and an answer to the clarion calls of Ndi Igbo towards the achievement of their desired goal.
