Northern Nigeria Is Powerless Without The Suport Of The Yorubas

Northern Nigeria is Powerless without the support of the Yoruba

Throughout Nigeria's history there have being "Coup D'états", there have being political struggles and there have being conflicts. People have died, for the sake of Political Justice.

The Biafra Conflict saw;



There was instability and dismay, but Biafra could be a country today If the Yorubas wanted it to be.

The Igbos struggle for more prominent role in Nigerian Politics can be accomplished if the Yorubas back them. The Biafran troops didn't lose the war because they were weak, they lost as any other tribe would have lost if they went against the rest of the country.

We talk about ethnicity, and about not seeing ourselvesas different, but a dysfunctional country that knows what it is and what it is made from is better than a functional country in Denial. We have to face the facts before we can ever progress and not sabotage our uniqueness for the sake of Peace. Yoruba will always be different from Hausa and Igbo People, Igbo people will always be different from Yoruba and Hause people as hausa people will always be different Igbo and Yoruba people. Nigeria is split into three major ethnic groups. The truth is Ojukwu is a much better person than IBB, Gowon, Atiku, Kalu or Obasanjo. All the Igbo's that died in the Biafra war hadied in Glory, for I would rather die knowing that I fought for what is right than Live in a system that is wrong.

Like I siad in the previous post this is not about hating nor loving, for a country with hatred and lawlessness but people who know who they are and where they stand is better than a Utopia with people taht keep quiet in Peace.

There is a time in every man's life that they must fight regardless of the consequences, that is what happened in Biafra and that is what is happening in the Niger Delta. A Niger Delta with Militants and Chaos is better than one with poverty but Nobody fighting against it. If I was a slave I would rather die rebelling than Live aimlessly.

Asking for an Igbo president in 2007, is not being ethnic or being unwise. If Yorubas failed Nigeria and Hausas failed Nigeria, why shouldn't the Igbo's get a chance are they inferior?

What did Gowon do for Nigeria.

What did Buhari do for Nigeria.

What did Babaginda do for Nigeria.

What did Abacha do for Nigeria.

What did Abubbakar do for Nigeria.

What did Obasanjo do for Nigeria.

NIGERIA NEEDS A ROTATING SYSTEM. It is only a matter of time before the Yorubas become the next Igbos and another Biafra arises, it is only a matter of time before the Igbo's cry out again. Wether it is stupid, or racial or ethnical It is inevitible. There may be peace today but I doubt there will be peace tommorow. I may be stupid but It will happen unless something is done.

The Niger Delta is a Warning of worse things to come

If you are given a warning will you act or will you sit back and pretend like it is all good.

The Yoruba have kept quiet, for the sake of peace, but it is only a matter of time, before they unite with the Igbos.
Not too long ago, I called Ojukwu a bastard, but today I call him a Hero. I am not Igbo, but if I was alive during Biafra I would have fought for the losing Side

I am Yoruba myself, and I didn't say that the Yorubas failed Nigeria, I said If (as in Hypothetically yet possibly)

I am Yoruba but I will fight for Igbos if it means that Justice will be served. Even if I am an idiot and just another Nigerian being all ethnically, that doesn't stop the Niger Delta Crisis from continuing. Wether I am crazy or not, If the Nigerian Government doesn't amend the constitution so that it will benefit as much tribes as possible, then there will inevitably be another Civil War.

The Niger Delta is a warning for a greater conflict

I don't support a rotating system for Nigeria. It'll only make ethnic differences more pronounced. soon the edo, efik, uhrobo, ijaws and all the hundreds of little ethnic groups will be asking for their turn. even the major ethnic groups will be divided among themselves over which dialect or subgroup will rule.
it'll become so stupid

instead, i think we should centralize our country like the French did during their revolution. since we can't go back in time to stop the europeans from merging almost entirely different peoples together.  we need to do is make the differences less pronounced rather than more pronounced.

shouldn't nationalism be the way to go, rather than ethnicism, when it comes to politics? 

I don't mind an Igbo president (they've been unduly underrepresented since forever) but the fear that most nigerians have is that since the igbos have tried once to create their own country, they'll only seek their self interest rather than the nation's if one of them is elected to the presidency.
I have this fear myself. Even on nairaland, they create their own separate community. lol

I prefer a centralized/united Nigeria.
this to me is the only benefit of americanization aka "globalization"
yeah we'll lose our cultures and all that if all our youth can't speak their native languages anymore or if they adopt english names, but then differences among us will be less pronounced. just my opinion.


It's not the same. The EU is an organization of different countries in the same region. These individual countries don't have rotational govts.
It'll however make sense if ECOWAS had a rotational govt. 

having a rotational system in Nigeria, we might as well divide the nation into 3 autonomous states with a central govt that's rotating.

no, not just language. The whole culture, ex. what makes a yoruba different from an igbo etc

you mean that rotation will bring more togetherness among ethnic groups?
you said "experimenting" so you're not sure if it'll work or not but want to try it. I'm not against trying to see if it will work but i'm cynical.

anyways, i'm not promoting "loss of culture" i'm only saying that IT IS HAPPENING ANYWAYS (due to globalization americanization )and that the SOLE benefit to it is the centralization that it's bringing.  ex people intermarrying, speaking a common language, oblivious of the hatred that once existed between them, having common interests etc

I'm not against experimenting to see if rotation might work but my opinion is that it will most likely turn into a mess. we have more than 3 ethnic groups in Nigeria and if we decide to make ethnicity pronounced in our government, other minor ethnicities will take advantage. even the major ones will be divided among themselves.
or, the hausas might say yorubas or igbos are not ruling well or are taking advantage. any law the ethnic govt passes will be shunned by the other groups. it will turn into a power struggle (that' what it is now anyways).
it'll always be a **** verus **** group.
If one group passes a long term law, the other ethnic group comes in, abolishes the law and installs it's own and the cycle goes on and on. and there also will always be bias. I don't think there will be efficiency in that kind of system

i think it'll be a mess but then who knows. maybe i'm just being unnecessarily cynical

Ninetofive,

I do realize that an Igbo man should have a short at the Presidency, but you should take the timing into account. Remember OBJ (a Southerner) has been in office for the past 8 years now, so the Northerners are insisting that power must shift to the north.

Its not the yorubas that you really need to convince, its the Northerners ! The Northerners are not going to support anyone short of a Northern candidate for President in 2007.

Think about it - the South south people are going to vote for either Utomi or Goodluck (PDP) and the Northerners are going to vote for a Northern candidate. You can't win the presidency with just the yoruba & igbo votes.

The next time power shifts to the south (4 years ? 8 years ?), you can try to woo the yorubas and the Northerners to support an Igbo for President. Right now, the timing is just not right.

(By the way, I am not necessarily in support of a North/South rotation, but that is the pseudo formula being practiced by our political class to keep the country together).

Enough blood has been shed, enough anguish has been felt.
The struggle of Biafra should not be in vain

A rotational electoral system will not fail.
It should consist of Three Geographical Zones.

Northern Nigeria Electoral Zone
Geographical zone, with Hausas, Fulanis and minority tribes.

South Eastern Nigeria Electoral Zone
Geographical zone with Igbos as well as Itsekiris, Ijaws and other minority tribes

South Western Nigeria Electoral Zone
Geographical zone with Yorubas, Edo, Binis and other tribes in the area.

The Electoral system will mean that no tribe is ignored or neglected.



Every four years, power will shift to the Next zone.
I propose it starts like this South Eastern Nigeria Electoral Zone, South Western Nigeria Electoral Zone then Northern Nigeria Electoral Zone. power will rotate every four years

Another good thing about this system is that no politician can be reelected for a second term, unless they are voted for by at least 75% of the Nigerian population in a Phantom Poll

A Phantom poll will be a poll that is held if a president wishes to be elected for a second term. The poll is held at the same time as the normal electoral polls. In a scenario that there be a Phantom poll, voters will vote for a politician from the politician zone of the time as well as the previous president(If he wishes to be re-elected for a 2nd term). If the President gets at least 75% in the Phantom vote, he/she will be eligible to face off the winner of the normal elections to determine the winner of the elections.

An example of a scenario where there might be a phantom vote is;

If Belo Ibrahim a Nigerian form the Northern part of the country rules for 4years but at the end of his tenure wishes to be elected for a 2nd term, even though the designated zone for the elections is the South Eastern Nigeria electoral zone. He will be able to announce a Phantom Vote.

Voters will vote for a politician form South Eastern Nigeria as well as tick wether or not they want Belo Ibrahim to face off the winner of the normal electoral proceedings.

If Belo Ibrahim gathers; 78% in the Phantom vote, he will be eligible to face off the winner of the normal electoral proceedings, since he gathered more than 75%.

If the winner from the South Eastern Nigeria Electoral zone is Chinoso Sunday, Chinoso will face off Belo Ibrahim in an electoral face off, If Belo wins he will be elected for a second term and Chinoso Sunday will be the president once Belo Ibrahim leaves office. If Chinoso dies in that period, another election will be held. Belo Ibrahim will be ineligible to contest, for a third term for it is not permitted in the constitution and he is not from the South Eastern Nigeria Electoral zone.


This procedure guarantees that someone from each of the zones will rule every eight years unless of course there is a phantom vote which may lead to a second term.

This is my solution to a more peaceful Nigeria. Also it will mean that politicians won't be able to be elected for a second term unless 75% of the voters vote Yes. This will mean a better Nigeria Th few tyrants and a revamped society.

We are all Nigerians, we can work together to achieve a better Nigeria. How Igbo brothers have been left unheard for too long.

one nation, one people

Any group that wants another ethnic group to vote for its' own candidate needs to extend a hand of fellowship and respect, to that other ethnic group, whose votes it is trying to win. Rancour, bigotry, rudeness, chest-thumping, and cyberspace wars do NOT win votes.

No one can demand that another group should hand over their votes on a platter. One must work for those votes, seek & pursue them with all the legitimate means at one's disposal. And with all the respect and decorum that one can muster.

@NINETOFIVE
Last time I checked, Northerners are Nigerians also.

How sad. Should I reply, or shouldn't I? Nah!

There is no need for me to dignify your diatribe with a response. So I'll just walk away & let you wallow in ignorance.

Play games with 'who'?? You?? Kai! Puh-leeze don't flatter yourself! What tawdry points are you trying to make? And who are you trying to impress with the empty rhetoric and gargatuan words, you keep throwing around? You don't even know their meaning, because you keep using them in the wrong context. Please take your narrow, warped perspective elsewhere & stick it where the sun doesn't shine!

 *Hiss*


P.S. There is no word such as 'biasness' in the dictionary*

I really do wish Seun had left that thread open. There were a few rejoinders that still needed to be made to that tribalistic brigade, including their chief Nine-to-Five. The major sins they accuse others of committing, are the same ones they wallow in, themselves.

Abeg jare, make we leave matter for Matthias.

Thank God, the average Nigerian on the streets irrespective of his or her ethnic background, does not think in the same bigoted mode, that they do. It is the ones in cyberspace, that stoke old fires with their inflammatory comments, and bash those who refuse to be drawn into their sick war of words.

@ Topic,


While the rotating leadership may be a good idea in the short run, however, there will always be the treat of sabatage in the long run. 


African leaders are known for their 'sit in power for decades' attititude.

I suppose from your past experience on Nairaland,this tribalistic cabal is an Igbo cabal.What should we do about this cabal? 

You have the same mindset as this cabal than you are prepared to admit.No one expects you to come out and state "I am a tribalist",what they expect you to do is to stop preaching  against something you are-a tribalist 

In the whole of Nairaland,Laudate has no Igbo friends,which I guess is a mere coincidence    She/he has never had a good word spoken of he/her on the racism threads from an Igbo person,another coincidence 

So let me break the mould and tell Laudate that she/he is intelligent,real,de-tribalised and a true Nigerian.Anybody who can't see the above qualities in Laudate belongs to a tribal cabal   

Nigeria doesn't need a rotational system. But I and qualified analysts foresee a civil war. Biafra Nigeria's first and hopefully last civil war was the result of a scramble for power. A rotational system then, would have prevented a war. Nigeria is not in a state right now that requires a rotational system, but Nigeria is moving in that direction and quite quickly.

I don't think there is one Igbo that will say; "I'm alright with northern Nigeria ruling te country for eternity". If the Igbos want a fair share, why shouldn't they get a fair share. What is so tribalistic or wrong about ehm getting a fair share?
The reason I proposed a rotational system is becuase that is the only way that they can get power, if you take into account how much The North Love power.