Nigeria seems prepared for an Ibo presidency. The query is whether or not the Ibo are prepared for themselves, contends NNAMDI EBO
For a long time, the story of the Ibo in Nigerian politics has been instructed as a narrative of exclusion. Since the top of the civil battle and the Federal Military Government’s proclamation of “No Victor, No Vanquished” on January 15, 1970, the Ibo of the 5 South-Eastern states have struggled to be absolutely built-in into the Nigerian political and social firmament.
But to inform it solely as a narrative of what Nigeria did to the Ibo is not trustworthy. Many strides have been made. Ibo marginalisation by Nigeria has abated significantly and isn’t any extra a difficulty within the sense it as soon as was. What confronts the Ibo now could be much more painful: the Ibo marginalisation by the Ibo themselves, in opposition to their very personal.
Consider the report since 1970. Out of the three main tribes — Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Ibo — the primary two have produced Military Heads of State and Presidents. The Ibo haven’t. For years, that was defined with a well-known jinx: “Nigeria is not ready for an Ibo presidency.”
That jinx is now damaged — not by the Ibo, however by different Nigerians. Somehow, the North seems to have relented in giving the South-East an opportunity. A serious politician from the North-West, Rabiu Kwankwaso (Hausa-Fulani), agreed to function Vice Presidential candidate to a significant politician from the South-East, Peter Obi (Ibo), in a Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso good alliance forward of the Nigerian 2027 normal election.
Grasp what meaning. A Northern heavyweight was ready to play second fiddle to an Ibo man for the very best workplace within the land. Other teams at the moment are able to assist an Ibo to Aso Rock. The door stated to be shut for 50 years has been opened — from the skin.
And but, inside the home, the door is being slammed shut by the Ibo palms. It seems that Peter Obi is destined to interrupt this jinx of “Nigeria is not ready for an Ibo presidency”! Suffice it to say that different tribal/ethnic teams at the moment are able to assist an Ibo to Aso Rock however the Ibo themselves. It is fascinating to notice that every one the 5 South-East Governors and few highly effective Ibos, who’re Ibo haters themselves, are in opposition to their very own going to Aso Rock — most unlucky!
This is the Crab Mentality. Or, in the event you want, the Crab Syndrome. It is vindicated by this intra-group opposition or factionalism given their turncoat/betrayal narratives. Conversely, from the generality of thousands and thousands of Ibo, their perspective is brutal: this Ibo opposition to Ibo is labeled as betrayal, jealousy, and a scarcity of solidarity — “crab mentality” or “pulling down their own.”
That is what crabs in a bucket do. When one crab tries to climb out, the others don’t push it to freedom. They pull it again down. No one escapes, and all perish collectively, satisfied they’ve achieved one thing intelligent.
This anomaly, epitomised by these few however highly effective Ibo males, is anathema to what Peter Obi should stand for them: The Ethnic and National Unification of the South-East with the remainder of Nigeria. Obi’s candidacy will not be merely about one man’s ambition. It is about whether or not the South-East can lastly be unified with the remainder of Nigeria via rotation and unrestrained energy sharing.
That is the political angle that issues. Purely a political angle primarily based on rotation and unrestrained energy sharing in Nigeria. If rotation means something, it should imply that energy circulates, that no area is completely a spectator, and that competence can come from any a part of the federation. The Obi-Kwankwaso alliance exams that precept in its purest type.
These Ibo political neophytes will not be pushed by any ideological disagreement with Peter Obi, or any native elite competitors, however by political opposition predicated on simply “pulling down their own.” There isn’t any various imaginative and prescient. What is obtainable as an alternative is sabotage dressed up as technique, envy dressed up as precept, and betrayal dressed up as independence.
And the price will not be Obi’s alone. It is borne by each Ibo dealer in Kano, each Ibo pupil in Lagos, each Ibo household in Abuja who needs to consider Nigeria can belong to them too. When our personal leaders sign that even we don’t consider in ourselves, why ought to Nigeria consider in us?
We can stay crabs in a bucket, perfecting betrayal and jealousy whereas we stay on the backside. Or we are able to unite behind our greatest likelihood, self-discipline our variations, and climb out collectively.
The cliché in Nigeria is that Ibo ought to think about buying and selling and depart different Nigerians to politick for them, since they’re not good politicians. Peter Obi is about to bury that cliché if a number of highly effective goons of his personal fellow Ibo are able to cooperate. Are they prepared? That’s the elusive query. If Obi fails on the poll field as a result of a number of of his fellow highly effective Ibo kith and kin, I doubt whether or not “Amadioha” the alusi (spirit drive) within the conventional Odinani cosmos of Iboland will smile on the betrayal of their kinsman.
Peter Obi might or might not change into the President of Nigeria in 2027. That is for Nigerians to resolve on the poll field. But the Ibo should not be the rationale he fails. We should not be the authors of our personal defeat. If Nigeria is prepared for an Ibo to proceed to Aso Rock, the Ibo should lastly be prepared for themselves.
These immature, pessimist, polarizing, defeatist, political escorts and Ibo reverse irredentists from the Southeast ought to permit Peter Obi’s political ambition and the political reintegration of the collective Ibo individuals of the South-Eastern geopolitical zone of Nigeria to be determined on the poll field, by thousands and thousands of the Nigerian voters, not by the Ibo enemies from inside Iboland.
Ebo is a Political scientist, Lawyer, Historian, Scholar in authorized literature and politics & Public affairs analyst
