Soon after Ojukwu returned from exile in 1982, he joined the National Party of Nigeria
(NPN), a pre-dominantly Hausa/Fulani political party. To say that Ojukwu’s decision then
was a shocker will simply be an understatement. But looking back at that decision 30 years
later, it now seems logical if not popular.

Back in 1982, Nigeria had 5 major political parties namely: The People’s Redemption Party
(PRP), a marginal northern party headed by Mallam Aminu Kano with strongholds in Kano
State. The Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP), another marginal northern party headed by
Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri with strongholds in the former Gongola State. Ojukwu couldn’t have
joined the PRP or GNPP for obvious reasons – they were not really viable political parties.

Then there was the Nigeria People’s Party (NPP) headed by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. Although Dr
Azikiwe tried very hard to expand the reach of the NPP, it was for all intents and
purposes a semi-marginal party with strongholds in the former Anambra and Imo States with
limited successes in Plateau. Now, most people expected Ojukwu to join the NPP on his
return from exile. But considering the events of the civil war, it was naive expecting
Ojukwu to join the NPP. If you remember, Dr Azikiwe vehemently refused to support Biafra
during the war rather opting to promote the concept of “One Nigeria”. Ojukwu never forgave
him for that singular action. Even when he came back, he met with most prominent Igbo
leaders but never met with Zik (at least during the 1982/83 period, but I could be wrong).

The fourth political party was the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) headed by Chief Obafemi
Awolowo. The UPN was a pre-dominantly Yoruba party with strongholds in the old western
states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Bendel. Again considering the events of the civil
war, one would not expect Ojukwu to join a party headed by Chief Awolowo.

That leaves the fifth and final party – the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) headed by
Alhaji Shehu Shagari. The NPN was a powerful northern party with strongholds in several
states in the north. It was the equivalent of today’s PDP in scope and size. The inclusion
of the two other northern parties (PRP and GNPP) did not dilute their influence in local
and federal elections. They won the presidency in 1979 and 1983. Soon after Ojukwu joined
the NPN, there was widespread speculation that joining was one of the conditions of his
pardon.

If you remember, the negotiations for Ojukwu’s return from exile went on between him and
high-ranking members of the NPN - the ruling party. So it will not be hard to imagine them
telling him “we will allow you to return from exile on the condition that you join our
party”. To sweeten the deal, it was believed they also promised to return to him, his
father’s landed properties which were several. As you may remember, Ojukwu’s father was
among Nigeria’s first millionaires. His properties were ceased after the war.

Sadly Ojukwu’s membership of the NPN cost him a lot of goodwill in the east at least in
the short term. People stopped showering him with the greeting “Onye ije nno (which
translates to “Welcome, Traveller”) and started calling him “Ogboso 1” (which translates
to “The Runaway”). He even suffered the humiliation of losing a senatorial election in
1983 to Dr Edwin Onwudiwe, a little known politician. However, Ojukwu’s involvement with
the NPN ended abruptly with the overthrow of the Shagari regime in 1983. His image was
gradually rehabilitated over the years reaching it’s climax at the time of his death.

P.S: I have great interest in Nigerian history from independence to the fall of
Buhari/Idiagbon (1985). That interest is purely academic. Unfortunately, it is difficult
to engage in an academic discussion of Nigerian history on NL without having it derailed
by persons with questionable motives.

@ OP

Just like Ojukwu just like Nnamdi that is why Shagari called him a political prostitute. Later you would see them shout up and down on Nairaland to little kids.

For those that know their onions know that south east politics is full of traitors and double speakers full of tribalism and all sort.

alj harem: @ OP

Just like Ojukwu just like Nnamdi that is why Shagari called him a political prostitute. Later you would see them shout up and down on Nairaland to little kids.

For those that know their onions know that south east politics is full of traitors and double speakers full of tribalism and all sort.

Can u shut it pls, no wonder pple call u the biggest tribalist on NL u hv derailed this very enlightenin thread before it began, as if SW politics is any better. Didn't MKO n awolowo suffer greatly in d hands of OOdua political backstabbers? why must u always speak negatively of SE. At least we didn't kill Ojukwu. Besides why equate Ojukwu joining Northern party as betrayal dat we love ojukwu as a military leader doesn't mean we love him as a democratic one, there is a diff. Pls xplain this concept to d north who want to saddle us wit buhari.If Ojukwu stands for election in SE as president he may not even win, if he is unable to convince SE electorate dat is our democracy. Military prowess and political skills r 2 different things, besides If u were in Ojukwu shoes wat wud u hv done?? Join awo's party?? I guess then he won't be a politicAl backstabber... I laff in pidgin ....No matter wat u say d killings in d north hav proved d poor man right. Now allow him rest in peace. Jeez u guys should just give it a rest already....

@ op pls continue with more enlightening topics n ignore that bigot alj harem who is trying to turn this into anodaa ethnic bashing thread.

I dont understand o.Is this the latest news about ike eba from hellfire ?

Question: Why did Ojukwu join a "Northern" party?

Answer: Political Expediency


This quality is grossly lacking in present day Igbo leaders.

ndu_chucks: Question: Why did Ojukwu join a "Northern" party?

Answer: Political Expediency

Can you explain further what you mean by "Political Expediency". I think it was more of a
socio-economic rather than political decision. Ojukwu would not have even won an election
for town councilor under the NPN.

By socio-economic, I mean he was able to return home a free man and in the process
reclaim his father's properties ceased by the government.

When you don't stand for anything, you fall for everything.

When you cant stand alone, You seek the support of your masters/superiors

Look at the trend

Azikwe allied with the North, Ekwueme aligned with the north, Ojukwu aligned with the North, Sylvester Ugo, Soludo, Ben Obi, Chuba Okadigbo. Now look instead of embracing their own APGA, they are with another northern party PDP

Read the quote below to understand the mentality of the SE and how they are viewed by their masters

Zik like many African rulers had a major character and integrity problem. At the root was his self-concept or self definition(the way one sees oneself). He saw himself in his own words as a "Beautiful Bride" for the highest bidder as well as indispensable. The former executive president of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a mild mannered man captured it well when he told Zik during the 1979 election campaign: "when you switch husbands one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight times, you are no longer a beautiful bride but a harlot." Zik was a weather vane-go where the favorable wind blows

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlikeObowu/message/106

BizBooks:

Can you explain further what you mean by "Political Expediency". I think it was more of a
socio-economic rather than political decision. Ojukwu would not have even won an election
for town councilor under the NPN.

By socio-economic, I mean he was able to return home a free man and in the process
reclaim his father's properties ceased by the government.

He ruturned as a free man, reclaimed his father's properties, but did not have to join any political party at all? I do not believe he joined NPN in order to run for office immediately, he probably wanted to rebuild broken bridges, influence, and goodwill in the North.

ndu_chucks:

He ruturned as a free man, reclaimed his father's properties, but did not have to join any political party at all?

That is the important point. He did not have to join any political party so soon after his
return. He could have waited for a few years before entering into politics. This gives
credence to the notion that he joined the NPN under duress.

BizBooks:

That is the important point. He did not have to join any political party so soon after his
return. He could have waited for a few years before entering into politics. This gives
credence to the notion that he joined the NPN under duress.

Ojukwu had returned and was a free man. What else could they have threatened to do to the great Ikemba? To even think that Ojukwu could be pressured into joing NPN bellitles the man, I think. He is too tough for that.

For the sake of discussion, what could they have threatened to do if he had refused to join NPN? Methinks he joined NPN all by himself.

Both ways doesnt look good

He joined by himself, that means the same northerners he wanted to break away from was the one he is dining with

Forced his hand means his own personal fortunes and properties matter more than those of the millions who were lost in the war

@Dayokanu,

You're right. Both explanations doesn't look good. But Ojukwu was caught between a rock and
a hard place. Apart from taking whatever deal he could get from Shagari and the NPN, the
alternative was to continue living in exile in the Ivory Coast. While he was in the Ivory
Coast, he was a forgotten man and would have remained so if he hadn't come back.

If I were in his shoes, I would have made the same choice.

@Ndu_Chucks,

The agreement for Ojukwu to join the NPN was presumably reached even before he came back.

BizBooks: @Dayokanu,
The agreement for Ojukwu to join the NPN was presumably reached even before he came back.

What's the source of this conjecture?

ndu_chucks:

What's the source of this conjecture?

There are no documents or written agreements to back up the conjecture. That's why I used the
word "presumably". But conventional wisdom back in 1982 had it that Ojukwu made a deal with
the NPN to allow him to return home.

I know it may seem too hard for some Nigerians to digest and accept, but Ojukwu was by far a true NATIONALIST NIGERIAN than all the pretenders, from Murtala Muhammad (who wanted to secede the North first after the July 1966 coup) to Obasanjo who stole the show from every true nationalist, and almost stole the title of "father of modern Nigeria".
The truth is that Nigeria has been a country of great tragedy because she somehow kills and subdues her truest nationalists and promotes fakes and lairs.
Nigeria somehow managed to redeem some of her betrays of true nationalists by giving Ojukwu a burial which it never even gave to dead president Yar Adua. So, that shows that some Nigerians still understand what Ojukwu really was.
The man was forced to fight in defense of his people. No more, no less.

Now @OP, I hope you can now see that Ojukwu was only being himself when he joined the NPN. He did it, not for personal gain, but to go back to his nationalist basis.
I have to agree with ndu_chucks on this one.

There was no way in which Ojukwu would have joined the socalled "Igbo party" (NPP), when opportunists and thieves like Jim Nwabodo & co took advantage of Ojukwu's absence to further robb the Igbos of whatever dignity left in them in the name of "working for/with Azikiwe, all on our expense. Though there were men like Sam Mbakwe who were honorable also in that party but with the sheer hypocricy of men like Jim Nwobodo and his delibrate disappointing leadership in Anambra the then(Nwobodo's estate) one can boldly state that Ojukwu made a perfect dicission by not joining a Hausa party hiding in the Igbo names as Nnamdis & Nwobodos to robb us dry in those days. So it was a good thing that Ojukwu went for the straight Hausa party NPN knowing fully well that he wouldn't have to deal with the unknown IFEAJUNA & CO, also with the likes of men like Alex Ekwueme who he (Ojukwu) could really trust, who also put the pressure on his boss like mate and worked really hard to call Ojukwu back home, i don't see why anyone is suprised that Ojukwu didn't join the AZIKIWE and his "Igbo party". Ikemba Ojukwu made a very good statement by not joining the "OUR NPP"

dayokanu: When you don't stand for anything, you fall for everything.

When you cant stand alone, You seek the support of your masters/superiors

Look at the trend

Azikwe allied with the North, Ekwueme aligned with the north, Ojukwu aligned with the North, Sylvester Ugo, Soludo, Ben Obi, Chuba Okadigbo. Now look instead of embracing their own APGA, they are with another northern party PDP

Read the quote below to understand the mentality of the SE and how they are viewed by their masters




http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlikeObowu/message/106

Who was Gowon's deputy?
A military govt for that matter.
Tomorrow dem go claim say him like democarcy. if He loved democracy y did he become the vice president under a military govt?
Ohh Finance minister too. Robbed naija like say tomorrow no dey.


If you no answer this question the STFU. Goat!

BlackPikiN:
Who was Gowon's deputy?
A military govt for that matter.
Tomorrow dem go claim say him like democarcy. if He loved democracy y did he become the vice president under a military govt?
Ohh Finance minister too. Robbed naija like say tomorrow no dey.
If you no answer this question the STFU. Goat!

Gowon had no Vice president.

Finance minister is a position like asking why Okonjo is a minister under Retardeen or why Chukwumerije became a minister under IBB or why Sam Omeruah became minister under Buhari.

All the ones I listed were under civilian regimes which they voluntarily went to

dayokanu:

Gowon had no Vice president.

Finance minister is a position like asking why Okonjo is a minister under Retardeen or why Chukwumerije became a minister under IBB or why Sam Omeruah became minister under Buhari.

All the ones I listed were under civilian regimes which they [b]voluntarily [/b]went to

So Gowon held a bazuka abi AK47 to Awo's head to be his vice president?

lol.. Abeg twist the logic again make I see jare.

Osondi Owendiiii

It was natural for him to join those who made it possible for him to return . I suppose it was one of the conditions given him by NPN. The party wanted badly to capture the then 2 (Anambra,Imo) Igbo states from the control of NPP. The majority of Ndigbo wanted him back in peace; and worried less about the party he joined, hence the popular slogan 'Onye ije noo'. Vice president Ekwueme(an Igbo) also acted as a buffer for him against Igbo nationalists .

He did it to frustrate Awolowo.

BlackPikiN:



So Gowon held a bazuka abi AK47 to Awo's head to be his vice president?

lol.. Abeg twist the logic again make I see jare.

What is this nonsense pple just spew on nairaland. Awolowo was never a Vice president in this country. He was a finance minister & a very smart one at that. It was a period of infrastuctural & educational development in Nigeria. And we fought a war wtout borrowing any money or going bankrupt.