Recently, the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) woke up from their slumber and described the call by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu for a boycott of the November governorship election in Anambra State as irresponsible and totally devoid of focus. This was quickly followed by a caution to IPOB not to arrogate to themselves the supreme leadership of Igbo land by Ohanaeze Ndigbo, through Nnia Nwodo.
My first reaction was e-yaaa Nnia Nwodo. Is it jealousy? Or are you guys just realizing that you have created a royal emperor by omission and commission? When elders and adults that should know better opted to own a group that gained prominence by fear mongering, cursing and derogation of every other ethnicity in Nigeria, I wondered what happened to wisdom.
There is an Igbo saying that a boy sent by his father to steal does not go quietly but breaks the door with his feet. Ohaneze under Nnia Nwodo, from inception, appears to be competing with IPOB in attracting resentment on Ndigbo. Now that IPOB has grown wings and is threatening to break the doors and windows of our glass house, Ohaneze became jittery.
The trademark of IPOB from the onset has been the propagation of hate-filled message stuffed with fear. But my Igbo generation, out of frustration of seeing their hero Goodluck Jonathan lose the 2015 election, aligned themselves with a hate group. Professionals, some respected columnist, etc. opened their eyes, heard the curses and either kept silence of joined in its propagation.
It is the leadership of Ohaneze, the likes of Prof. Soludo, Prof. Pat Utomi, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, the senators and the rest that ran and paid homage to the Supreme Leader of IPOB that created the emperor that will forever haunt and hurt Ndigbo in our relationship with other ethnicities in Nigeria. When politicians seeking to ride under the Biafran Spirit choose to pay homage to the supreme leader of Ndigbo, his head and that of his followers has been swollen. Now, we have been ordered to boycott the governorship election in Anambra State or be shown “pepper”.
Accept my apologies, Chief Nwodo, the toothpaste is out of the tube and the train has long left the station. You cannot pick and choose when to align with our supreme leader to boost your popularity only to turn around and lecture your leader on the meaning of decorum. After seeing and hearing of the hatred and bigotry from IPOB and radio Biafra, your response was to ask, “What is his offense anyway?” At another instance, Chief Nwodo wondered why a call for a republic of Biafra should attract detention. Now, he suddenly remembered that “we are still part and parcel of the present Federal Republic of Nigeria, bound by its laws, no matter how repressive or unjust.”
Sorry, chief Nnia Nwodo, you are like John the Baptist that heralded the coming of the Messiah whose shoes you cannot untie now. What is done is done. Ndigbo did not just get a new leader; they got a Supreme Leader. You and Ohaneze have no choice than to fall in line. Did Chief Nnia Nwodo miss the memo the other day when Dr. Dozie Ikedife proudly presented the new Lion King of Ndigbo to our people – the mob on the street?
APGA’s caution to Nnamdi Kanu to drop his “emperor” perception of himself and humble himself may be too late. APGA should get ready for a state of emergency that will be declared in Anambra after the kata-kata that will follow an attempt by IPOB to disrupt the Anambra 2017 election. Worst still, the tense atmosphere and fear during the election will present an opportunity for APC to rig the election. IPOB is about to deliver Anambra State to APC.
The UPP governorship candidates Osita Chidoka and Dr. Chudi Ofodile that paid homage to the supreme leader of Ndigbo, Chief Kanu in order to gain popularity should follow his order and withdraw from the election now. Where is Prof Chuma Soludo that backed incumbent Governor Obiano? Can someone please tell him that his good friend, our Supreme leader has declared that there will be no election in Anambra? Prof, don’t you think you should convene an emergency meeting of the Nzuko Umunna over the impending showdown at your backyard?
As I was concluding this I got a WhatsApp message that Anambra has seceded from Biafra. Then, my phone rang. I picked it up and heard a sarcastic laughter on the other end from Governor Ayo Fayose, Apostle Reno Omokri, and my good friend Femi-Fani-Kayode. These renegade intruders that helped propel the monsters that are threatening the Igbo nation are sitting back and laughing at us. Can you imagine Reno degrading Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to a local champion and mocking Ndigbo? Alu emeee!
Here is food-for-though for Chief Nwodo and the rest of us; why have we allowed political lepers to join in punching ourselves and scratching our skin until we see blood but still refused to stop? Rather than worrying about who the Supreme leader of Ndigbo is, Nnia Nwodo should start expressing moral outrage that we have descended to the level of recording and spreading fake and troubling audio messages of evil and injustice on brothers and ourselves just to justify that we are marginalized and that everyone hates us.
It is true that like other ethnic minorities in Nigeria, especially those in the oil-producing Niger Delta, Ndigbo are disadvantaged in the current political structure. But one should not use the fact that craw-craw itches to scratch himself into blindness. All chief Nwodo should be worried about is not who the Supreme leader of Ndigbo is, but who will build consensus with other ethnic nationalities on restructuring. Chief Nwodo should re-focus on leading Ndigbo out of the ditch and pushing for the implementation of true federalism by building bridges.
It is also true that IPOB and the likes had been in existence before the emergence of Nnia Nwodo as the President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, but he joined in promoting their fear mongering tactics. Now that the same conscious toxic behavior is being used to attempt to precipitate tragedy before or during the Anambra Governorship election, Chief Nwodo and Ohaneze should not complain but accept responsibility. Is Ohaneze ashamed because IPOB is doing what they cannot do?
So, sorry chief Nwodo and Ohaneze that a new king is overshadowing your presumed supreme leadership of the Igbo nation. I completely understand how you feel and I hope you have learned some lessons these few months about the dangers of playing the politics of fear and imposing on Ndigbo a sense that every other tribe has it so easy in Nigeria but us.
I still believe in you though. If only you can stop focusing only on negative events and disappointments and switch to a positive frequency in order to reshape our realities and thoughts. If only you will begin to see your role as the leader of Ohaneze as an opportunity to deliver results rather than a popularity or beauty contest with IPOB and the supreme leader of Ndigbo, Chief Nnamdi Kanu.
You can email Churchill at churchill.okonkwo@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @churchillnnobi.
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An irresponsible write-up fraught with youthful exuberance. Shame on the writer.