2019... What Is ndi Igbo Up To This Time?

IT was a busy night at the bar last night; dancers, singers, comedians, actors, the whole place bubbled. But in the midst of the noise, we found time to talk politics. Mba, not Anambra politics this time; it was national.


  Come o, what's this gossip about politicians going to take an oath? Are we back to that route again abi the rumour mongers are at work? Well, this is election season; anything is possible. I don't want to dwell on this matter much. Like one drunk used to say, "okwu edebelu for general adiro mma for public."

However, the point is that everybody is gearing up for 2019. Ndi Igbo, how far? It's not about not liking Buhari and his APC, what's the way forward? Have we started planning? Yes, I know we are agitating for Biafra, but for now that we are still here in Nigeria, what's the tactics? My brother, leave this your argument of 'no election in Igboland", it doesn't hold water for me; there's no law that says we can have plan B biko.

In the North, Atiku is already blowing hot; others like Kwankwaso, Tambuwal and co are weighing their options. Here in the southwest, Tinubu, whom you think has gone to sleep, is plotting something new, even when his man is Second in Command after Buhari. Erh, I heard some groups are calling on VP Osinbajo to run for president, Upe, that won't happen. No, no, it's not about him being a pastor or not being a politician. If you like, argue it from now till time "Imo River", power will remain in the north; finish!

Look, if you want to discuss Nigerian politics with me, biko drop sentiments; it doesn't work here. If you want to know the truth, then listen, our Igbo leaders have boxed us to the corner. Because some of them were busy fighting for their pockets, they failed to work us into the Nigerian Equation ( Ofeke amaro mgbe eji kee nku ukwa). Our blind support for Ijaw man has turned out to be a huge loss.

Though its not written anywhere, there seems to be an existing ruling pattern in Nigeria; from north to south, that's the one you call zoning. It was zoning that made Obasanjo president from prison and Atiku, who was already Gov elect, became Vice. Same zoning made Evan Enwerem, Okadigbo, Wabara, Nnamani and Anyim Senate Presidents. Zoning brought in Yaradua and Jonathan to power and if our politicians didn't play bad politics in 2011, an Igbo man would have been president by 2015. That's truth. Why did we abandon zoning?

Let me even ask o, how and when did business men 'hijack' politics in the southeast? How did we move from the likes of Zik, M.I Okpara, Okadigbo, KO Mbadiwe, Ekwueme, Umezoke, Mbakwe, Akanu Ibiam and other seasoned Igbo leaders of thought to these present crop of people, who seem to care less about us? Ifugo ebe mmili si baa na opi ugbogulu?
Believe it or not, the people we have in politics today, at least from my region, are mere business men; more of traders making political investments. They approach politics from the point of view of buying and selling; no strategy, no ideology, no cohesion, no focus! Once money comes in, all is welll.

So, while our brothers in the north and southwest have their eyes on power, our men, though not all, are chasing naira and kobo. In the end, the region is in trouble.

Where are our former governors and past political appointees? Former Senators, Reps and Ministers, where are you? How are they contributing to the advancement of Igbo agenda? Gee nti, Onye bu mmadu uzo sibe ite, na aka ya enwe nkpo nkpo agha. In other regions, men are at work.
Ndi Igbo, who will go for us? Who can we put forward in 2019? What are we negotiating? Who are we talking to? Personally, I've not seen any serious engagement and I must confess, oburo ukwua ka nama ga eji jee Umuahia. Ndi youth ibe m, wake up...lamentation is not an option.