Ndigbo and Buhari may have a history of diametric politics, but they share a common attribute; tenacity. Have you watched an average Ibo trying to climb the ladder of worldly success? He would be ready for any length, and some who really aren’t fans, may want to add, ‘including doing all stuff.’
The president’s tenacious capacity also needs no re-telling. Both have also demonstrated not letting-go, with offences. Kaduna troubler Nasir el-Rufai had helped with historical profiling of his Fulani stock. Unlike Yoruba that caution with iyan ogun odun (evil that men do, catches and lives with them), el-Rufai said revenge is eternal in the memory of his race, even when peace is supposedly made. Unless Ndigbo’s Republican politics isn’t of reality hue, it should be crystal clear that unless the celestial got involved like Kogi’s power-shift, if any Northern ruler would shift power to the South-East, it can never be Muhammadu Buhari. I stand to be disproved by the unknown tomorrow.
Both sides to the future game, know it is beyond PDP/APC and if partisanship on the basis of what we have as political parties, is even brought into the mix, the way likely leading presidential aspirants like Rochas Okorocha, are being squeezed, should dictate a commonsense of seeking the revival of the presidency’s project elsewhere.
Like Buhari’s inherited unforgiving Fulani spirit, Ndigbo too, have no history of moving on, after taking away lessons from either a fall or a rising. I understand why closure may be difficult. Offences go straight into the spirit once one allows an opening and for generations being programmed not to forget a pogrom allegedly designed to wipe their memories off the Nigerian entity, just asking them to leave the past behind as if nothing happened, would be sheer hypocrisy for anyone attempting such histrionic.
Just like with Hitler and Jews of Isreal, something unforgettable happened to Ndigbo in Nigeria. It set them back for decades. There are scars that might be permanent, like getting the male youth enmass out of Ariara and Alaba markets, back to western education and reinventing the value of uprightness in business relations as against doing just about anything to get ego. History says it wasn’t so from beginning and the disruption, alteration and deflection, was all about why the self-proclaimed Jewish race is still angry.
If two unforgiving fellows are involved, the best human advice is for them to part ways for a while, for things to cool down, though God desires it differently. He wants us to forgive and leave vengeance to Him. He even wants us to pray for our enemies. I once mentioned to a bitterly-unforgiving semi-Igbo fellow (He says he is Delta-Ibo) around me, what Jesus commanded us to do unto those who hate us and even treat us like a rag. I went the spiritual way since he was always hoisting his Christian faith and I was tired of his anti-Buhari tirade. He was ready to throw away his altar-call if he must pray for the duo in Aso Rock, to be Christ-like. The admonition that both are carrying the destiny of these generations and the unborn, cut no ice with him. He was also not for the homily that prayers and not curses which he rains on them at the slightest provocation, were needed more for his dream Nigeria which Buhari, for all my friend’s permutations, can never bring about. He attends different socio-cultural, religious and professional meetings where ABB 2019 (Anybody but Buhari) is always the agenda and he talks excitedly these days, about “progress”.
The generality of Ndigbo everywhere, will not vote for Buhari, though the president is likely to do better than the 97:5 per cent (bad maths) ration this time, even if security arm of the ruling party, would have to put an arm into it, at least to save the face of Emeka Ngige and co, assuring the president of unofficial and undocumented armistice. From worried APCists, I have heard arguments like Peter Obi’s PDP VP candidacy, isn’t as exciting to Ndigbo as when their adopted son, Goodluck Jonathan was seeking re-election and Obi’s presence on the 2019 ballot, isn’t serving a unification agenda like Jonathan’s, in 2015.
It is obvious above claims are as untrue as self-serving. Yoruba’s omo eni (you don’t give child’s bread to dogs) saying, is an eternal truism anywhere. The ileke (waistband) is just a matter of classification. For the Christian community in the US, a mad Trump who defunded abortion in the name of Planned Parenthood, would always be a better presidential choice than any relativist presented by the Democrats, regardless of higher moral grounds.
The bad news here for APC is that unlike 2015 when it was single thread of ethnic sentiment, 2019 would be a double whammy. Can APCists imagine the yet-to-erode Ndigbo love for Jonathan who is all out for Abubakar Atiku and Obi’s ticket, combined with the omo wa ni e je o se (it’s our turn) dripping sentiment for Obi? Devastating?
Yet, nothing says Ndigbo would have a presence in Aso Rock next year. Buhari has spoken loud and clear about the worth of his ambition and he doesn’t have to be a Jonathanian. He has also spoken loudly about his winning mentality. Ask us in Osun. He has also spoken clearly about his love for rewarding demonstrable loyalty. Babatunde Fashola has the ears of his boss. He also likely has his heart in unguarded moments. He has, uncharacteristically, been talking power-shift in recent time. While for equity, I’m for Ndigbo in 2023, I am realistically, peeping in direction of South-West and particularly, a certain Osinbajo. I’m almost certain he would be president.
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