Can Igbos survive the murky waters of Nigerian politics?

Igbos are said to constitute about 18 million of the Nigerian population, even though no census in recent times has included ethnicity in the statistics captured. Some schools of thought suggest that Igbos could be upwards of 30 million, given their spread all over Nigeria. Whether 18 - or 30 - million strong, Igbos, unfortunately, have not had the opportunity to use their population to achieve ethnic political ends, unlike the Yoruba, and certainly, the Hausa-Fulani, the two other majority ethnic groups, who have managed to master the murky politics of Nigeria. Several reasons can be adduced for this history, but four reasons immediately come to mind:

1. Too many Igbos live outside of Igbo land in Nigeria.
2. Too many Igbos live outside of Nigeria.
3. The apathy of the Igbo towards actual participation in the voting process. Someone should please compare the number of registered voters in Igboland to the number of actual voters in the last election.
4. Igbo political immaturity in always tending to belong in one major party, in this case, PDP. The Yoruba own APC, yet their voting pattern clearly showed that they voted significantly for both APC and PDP.

In this short narrative, I will discuss points one, two and four. The Igbo who live outside of Igbo land in Nigeria are often the target of ethnic and religious fracas in the northern part of Nigeria, which often is rifer during election periods. As such, they tend to relocate to safer havens during election times. These Igbo, otherwise registered to vote in the North, automatically self-disenfranchise, due to this movement. In a recent photo circulated online during the eve of the elections, I saw hordes of Nigerians standing inside airplanes as they would do in molue buses. Such was the rush to move to safe grounds that safety was ignored. Now, do we know, or have we imagined, how many Igbos live in violence-prone northern Nigeria; and the effect that electoral disenfranchisement induced by sudden panicky movement outside registration areas have on the Igbo political clout in Nigeria?

Secondly, it is estimated (no official data) that about 17 million Nigerians live abroad. With illegal immigration not abating, and given the number of illegal Nigerians abroad who, therefore, are not officially documented as Nigerians in foreign countries, this number may even be modest. Now, considering 17 million Nigerians abroad, anecdotal evidence suggest that nearly half are Nigerians of Igbo origin. Such anecdotal evidence include how many Nigerians you see on the streets of non-Nigerian cities and their ethnic origins in Nigeria; how many Nigerians you know, see, read or hear of, working responsibly in foreign lands and their ethnic origins in Nigeria; how many Nigerians you know, see, read or hear of, studying in foreign lands and their ethnic origins in Nigeria; how many Nigerians you know, see, read or hear of, trading (buying and selling) responsibly in foreign lands and their ethnic origins in Nigeria; and how many Nigerians you hear of who have been arrested for one crime or visa infringement or another in foreign lands, and their ethnic origins in Nigeria. With this second background comes the question of the non-voting status of Nigerians in diaspora. Of these 17 million Nigerians, one reckons that given the average age of Nigerians who tend to travel out, that most would be eligible to vote (over 18 years old). Have we imagined how non-diaspora voting affects the Igbo political clout in Nigeria?

Now that we have embraced technology in the voting process by way of using biometric PVCs and card readers, is there anything Nigerians abroad can begin to do to see that they vote in future elections back home, at least electronically? I also do not mind going to queue at the country’s embassy to vote.

Regarding reason 4, presently, Buhari of APC is poised to win the election and be declared president. With likely no Igbo as Senator or Rep member in APC, Igbos will most likely face political exclusion for the next 4 years because they will not be among the 6 most powerful positions in the country, nor their deputies, nor the Secretary of State. But that may be a blessing in disguise for the Igbos to start to put their house in order. I have said many times that Igbo are too big a group to put all of their eggs in one basket. I have said that they should belong in equal numbers in both PDP and APC, even though I also hinted that they should not vote for Buhari because of his antecedents. Nothing stops Igbos from voting a good Igbo person in APC for Igbo positions at the federal legislature. Nothing stops an Igbo APC person from being the governor of an Igbo State. For Igbo immediate political survival, Okorocha should remain the governor of Imo State and APC should produce at least one or two more governors from the South East in the coming gubernatorial elections. Several Igbo senators or Senators-elect in PDP should consider decamping right away to APC, so that Igbos can have possible representation as Senate President or House Speaker.

Jonathan may have lost the election, but he has put the South-South into favorable political reckoning. If Niger Delta militants go haywire as a result of Jonathan’s loss, they will be assuaged with political patronage and life goes on. In contrast, the Igbo, as it is now, have little, if any, political bargaining chips. But they have another 4 years to prove that they can survive the murky waters of Nigerian politics, or they will go into permanent political oblivion.

Love

My fellow country men please Let's desist from inciting statements at this time cause the tension is still high to avoid problems

Let's cease all these tribal tantrums, the election is over. You can bring back all these up when 2019 draw close. I love Igbos! . One love.

Buhari victory will only mean Hausa-Fulani are the owner of Nigeria and Yoruba are the willing tools while the rest are spoils of war.


Hence I can only see the sun truly rising from the East at all cost.

Too ba d for them. They were the ones that pushed GEJ into this quagmire. They made him believe all was well with their loud mouths, noise making and chest beating. It is now glaring to the whole world that their votes, even when added to that of the SS, is highly inconsequential, but they boasted as if other nigerians won't vote. I believe GEJ picked them because of their tribalistic tendencies which they used in destroying him to the extent which money couldn't repair. They stupidly abandoned their own ambitions for a failed president by standing down their sons and APGA party for him. What did they gain for all that? A picture bridge that might take long to complete and will be tolled. What are they going to lose now? No, nobody will marginalize them, but nobody will take them serious again. Let peace reign.

For me, this is the koko of the matter

Now that we have embraced technology in the voting process by way of using biometric PVCs and card readers, is there anything Nigerians abroad can begin to do to see that they vote in future elections back home, at least electronically? I also do not mind going to queue at the country’s embassy to vote.

spectroscopic:
Can Igbos survive the murky waters of Nigerian politics?

...

1. Too many Igbos live outside of Igbo land in Nigeria.
2. Too many Igbos live outside of Nigeria.
3. The apathy of the Igbo towards actual participation in the voting process. Someone should please compare the number of registered voters in Igboland to the number of actual voters in the last election.
4. Igbo political immaturity in always tending to belong in one major party, in this case, PDP. The Yoruba own APC, yet their voting pattern clearly showed that they voted significantly for both APC and PDP.

...

I think you actually missed one of the most important reasons - voting or supporting a candidate/party based on tribal sentiments. Until most Igbos, and other clannish Nigerians, evolve as a group and support a candidate/party based on merits, this type of problems will always occur. By the way, most Hausas have the same problem.

Whenever a group of people or an establishment lacks diversity, they are essentially putting all their eggs in the same basket because there is no “alternative”. There is a reason why fortune 500 companies do not just hire students from a single great school. You need people with different and sometimes contrary point of views to contrast your views with.

Wallie:


I think you actually missed one of the most important reasons - voting or supporting a candidate/party based on tribal sentiments. Until most Igbos, and other clannish Nigerians, evolve as a group and support a candidate/party based on merits, this type of problems will always occur. By the way, most Hausas have the same problem.

Whenever a group of people or an establishment lacks diversity, they are essentially putting all their eggs in the same basket because there is no “alternative”. There is a reason why fortune 500 companies do not just hire students from a single great school. You need people with different and sometimes contrary point of views to contrast your views with.

Even yorubas do the same!
Tinubu is trying to sell himself as an awolowo of the modern age.

Wallie:


I think you actually missed one of the most important reasons - voting or supporting a candidate/party based on tribal sentiments. Until most Igbos, and other clannish Nigerians, evolve as a group and support a candidate/party based on merits, this type of problems will always occur. By the way, most Hausas have the same problem.

Whenever a group of people or an establishment lacks diversity, they are essentially putting all their eggs in the same basket because there is no “alternative”. There is a reason why fortune 500 companies do not just hire students from a single great school. You need people with different and sometimes contrary point of views to contrast your views with.

No! Actually Igbos are among the least culpable in this, historically. Now look at the voting in the North. How many did Jonathan get in Muslim and Hausa-Fulani areas? Remember Jonathan is not an Igbo person, yet Igbos supported him to the end. They just don't like Buhari for his religious fundamentalisms.

This is about the first time that Yorubas are impressing with this seemingly non-tribal voting pattern. Remember how they voted during Awo's time, MKO's time, and Obasanjo's first (they all voted for Olu Falae, the Yoruba preferred candidate) and second (they then voted for Obasanjo because Atiku was about sending him packing) terms. One can also suggest that they voted for Buhari now because of Osibanjo and his connection with Tinubu. Otherwise, how come they sat at home and not vote for Buhari during the last election when Buhari chose a ''less- compliant'' Bakare?

In any case, this is not the point of this thread.

We can at least start from vice presidency. Or via the pdp which is more open to various regions!

Segeggs:
Too ba d for them. They were the ones that pushed GEJ into this quagmire. They made him believe all was well with their loud mouths, noise making and chest beating. It is now glaring to the whole world that their votes, even when added to that of the SS, is highly inconsequential, but they boasted as if other nigerians won't vote. I believe GEJ picked them because of their tribalistic tendencies which they used in destroying him to the extent which money couldn't repair. They stupidly abandoned their own ambitions for a failed president by standing down their sons and APGA party for him. What did they gain for all that? A picture bridge that might take long to complete and will be tolled. What are they going to lose now? No, nobody will marginalize them, but nobody will take them serious again. Let peace reign.

But the PDP is not dead yet. I still suggest that Igbos remain in PDP as much as many should join APC.

Another baseless thread.

Topic and content of the thread are at huge variance.

Kagame:
Another baseless thread.

Topic and content of the thread are at huge variance.

Lost but found!

Kagame:


Topic and content of the thread are at huge variance.

How so? Care to explain?

kay1one:

Even yorubas do the same!
Tinubu is trying to sell himself as an awolowo of the modern age.

No doubt that more Yorubas voted for APC but the result wasn't one-sided! With Yorubas, titans like Tinubu may try to get people to vote his way but we're too independent-minded to vote sheepishly. We mostly vote based on merit.

If parties were joined based on merits, there’s absolutely no reason why APC should not have a huge following in the SE. You cannot honestly tell me that most Igbos that voted for PDP in the SE are happy with GEJ’s performance.

Further, if you’re being strategic and tribalism is not an issue, a slightly popular Igbo candidate should have contested for the senate on APC’s platform, especially now that APC controls the senate but Igbo politicians know that there’s no way to garner Igbo vote if they contested on APC’s platform.

In general, in Nigeria, we do not strategize and only go for what’s directly in front of our nose even when implementing our trade policies or investing!

spectroscopic:


...Otherwise, how come they sat at home and not vote for Buhari during the last election when Buhari chose a ''less- compliant'' Bakare?
...

I think this is attributable to the Not-GEJ syndrome. I think people are just genuinely tired and want change.

Anyway, don't let me derail your thread.

Wallie:



If parties were joined based on merits, there’s absolutely no reason why APC should not have a huge following in the SE. You cannot honestly tell me that most Igbos that voted for PDP in the SE are happy with GEJ’s performance.

Could you tell me why far more northerners voted for Buhari than GEJ?

spectroscopic:


Could you tell me why far more northerners voted for Buhari than GEJ?

I told you that already in my first post quoted below.

Wallie:

...Until most Igbos, and other clannish Nigerians, evolve as a group and support a candidate/party based on merits, this type of problems will always occur. By the way, most Hausas have the same problem....

Wallie:


I told you that already in my first post quoted below.

Fine! All Nigerians vote (or have voted) clannishly/religiously at different times in history. It depends on what's at stake for them. At the moment, the Yorubas have deviated from the norm and voted in a more balanced fashion and they get my credit for that.

spectroscopic:


Fine! All Nigerians vote (or have voted) clannishly/religiously at different times in history. It depends on what's at stake for them. At the moment, the Yorubas have deviated from the norm and voted in a more balanced fashion and they get my credit for that.

True democracy is relatively new to us but there's no doubt that the smarter ones among us grow sophisticatedly with each passing election. This election will surely teach some politicians how to strategize in order to win this game of numbers that we call democracy.