Given the pedigree of most of the political and socio-political leaders in Igbo land, it may not be correct to classify them as naïve. These men and women who have occupied and still occupy sensitive and important positions ordinarily possess what it takes to make sound judgment but they carry on as if there is an evil spirit misdirecting them. It is regrettable to note that they have continued to lead the Igbo to political, social, and economic Golgotha. Today Igbo land is about the least developed region of Nigeria in terms of infrastructure and economic development. Igbo leaders are quick to mischievously allege that the region is being punished for its role in the civil war; this is clearly far from the truth. Those who have had the privilege of taking up Igbo slots or represented the Igbo at the national level have constantly chosen to reason with their stomachs. Some of them that served as Governors of Igbo speaking states have acted as if they were agents of an enemy nation on a mission to annihilate Igbo land. This class of people who somehow also manage to secure contracts to build infrastructure in the region end up performing woefully to the detriment of the whole region. Meanwhile the other regions in Nigeria have continued to forge ahead in all areas. The key enemy of the Igbo has been the avaricious tendencies of its leaders.

The electoral system in Nigeria is designed to give voters the privilege of privacy and secrecy in making their choices. That is why the secret ballot system has been adopted. Politics is like war in the sense that strategies are not discussed on the pages of newspapers. There is need for astuteness and tact in political pursuits. Interest groups define their objectives and pursue such goals in such a deft and sometime discreet manner that they secure some reasonable level of consideration for the general good of its stakeholders.

Afenefere is seen as the apex socio- political group in Yoruba land while the Arewa Consultative Forum is seen as the champion of the Northern course. Ohaneze Ndigbo describes itself as the apex Igbo socio political group; there are other Igbo groups. These are some of the key regional interest groups in the Nigerian political space. While the Afenefere and Arewa Consultative Forum are playing their cards close to their chest as it pertains to the 2015 general elections, the Ohaneze Ndigbo is very visible, dancing naked in public and struggling to endorse one candidate or the other. In all of Ohaneze’s desperation, it is difficult to identify their motivation; it is even more difficult to see a direction neither is it any easier to pick out Igbo interest in all its moves. Igbo interests must transcend political appointments for a few but should really consist of attracting real development to the region. Even before the President indicated interest to run for office again in 2015, Ohaneze had gone ahead of itself dissuading well meaning and ambitious Igbo men and women from running for the office of President in 2015 as it had earlier in 2011, in its usual tactless manner gone ahead to declare support for a then vacillating President Jonathan.

The build up to the 2015 general elections offered the Igbo a great opportunity to carve a niche for themselves in the Nigeria political terrain. Unfortunately, we seem to have squandered that opportunity on the altar of personal greed and avarice. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which was largely seen as an Igbo political party failed woefully to cash in on the confusion and angst in most People’s Democratic Party (PDP) states in Igbo land. While Victor Umeh followed Willie Obiano around, he failed to identify the opportunity in Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu states. APGA had earlier lost Imo to the All Progressive Congress (APC), in a way that showed that that Imo APGA was more about Rochas Okorocha than the party itself. APGA has since become an auxiliary political structure available to be used by disenfranchised politicians from other political parties, who usually dump the party after they would have achieved their objectives.

Political power is never given, it must be schemed and fought for. The present dispensation where there does not seem to be an overwhelmingly popular presidential candidate created an opportunity for a dark horse to emerge and achieve something monumental. Having a strong APGA Igbo candidate fully backed by the Igbo in the present race would have been the beginning of making the Igbo very relevant in the modern day Nigerian politics. In the very likely event of the absence of a clear winner of the presidential election, such candidate would have become the beautiful bride to be courted by the other stronger contenders. That would have given the region the opportunity of becoming a key player in the incoming government while positioning itself for a bigger role in the future. As things stand now, the Igbo who today are playing fourth fiddle will definitely struggle for space in the coming dispensation. In the event of the reemergence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, then the Igbo may have to wait for up to twenty years to have a serious shot at the Presidency having so thoughtlessly conceded to Jonathan’s aspiration only for a mess of porridge for a few. In the event of the emergence of a Mohammadu Buhari, we may be lucky to have a look in, in about sixteen years, because for sure, after the next dispensation we will be told by other regions that we have had our turn, after all Dr. Goodluck is Ebele Azikiwe.

Having sold itself so cheaply to the aspirations of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, if that desire becomes reality in May 2015, that government will have absolutely no motivation to consider the Igbo region in the scheme of things. It will also take an extremely magnanimous and benevolent Mohammadu Buhari to take the Igbo seriously since we have acted like the foremost haters and enemies of the APC, only because that tendency will not favor the few who are being sustained by the status quo. It will not be surprising if the second Niger bridge remains a campaign issue in 2019 and 2023. Our people are simply too greedy and selfish to see beyond their noses. The Nigerian politician from other regions know how much an Igbo leader is worth, and they are willing to pay that pittance.

The fact that an endorsement by Ohaneze will have little or no effect on the voting pattern of the people is a clear testimony to the fact that the hoopla is on only for the selfish interests of a few. One may ask what Jonathan has done for the Igbo that have driven these self seeking Igbo men and women to become more Ijaw than Chief Edwin Clark and Joseph Ewa. Why are the Igbo being presented to the other tribes as haters of whoever is not dancing to Jonathan’s music, even as Bayelsa state now seems to have more APC support than most Igbo states. Jonathan himself has stated that he has built eleven new Universities and nine of them are in the north, how many were sited in Igbo land. Where is our own equivalent of Alamajiri schools? Niger Delta militants have been retrained and rehabilitated in different areas of endeavor at huge expense to the Nigerian state; what has happened to Igbo youths. Besides political appointments of individuals, what do we have to show for more than ninety five percent support for Dr. Jonathan in 2011? This write up is not necessarily against the person of Dr. Jonathan and his legitimate quest; it instead frowns at the attempted wholesale surrender of Igbo votes and support to a candidate who is not specific on deliverables to the people and the region. It is simply the height of wickedness for any persons or group to continue to use the Igbo name to feather their nests.

Ohaneze must realize it is destroying itself in this senseless pursuit of an endorsement that will not be respected. Why push for a position that cannot be considered nor adhered to by those you claim to represent? Igbo politicians and socio political organizations must develop strategies that will cater for the co and those issues should occupy us instead.

Our home land has been invaded by cattle rearers who now live in the bushes around our villages harvesting cassava and other crops planted by our people to feed to their cows. These herdsmen renowned for their callousness have left the sorghum, millet, guinea corn and maize in the north which are better fodder for their animals and have chosen to destroy our farm lands. Incidences of murder of those who tried to resist them have been recorded. The presence of this horde of illiterate and dangerous herdsmen is a clear and present danger in the region as they are a veritable source of recruits for militias and terrorists like Boko Haram. We are losing our farmlands daily to them, consequent upon which our people are now going hungry on account of the destruction of their farmlands. Besides, we have been opened up to attacks by terrorists and militias as has been the case in Benue state. We are no longer safe and may soon start hearing bombs go off in our land; the human resource needed to execute that is available in those herdsmen.

Igbo land is losing Aba, once renowned as the Japan of Africa. The misgovernance in Abia state has become legendary just as the Governor of that state is seen today as a national clown. The economy of Abia is dying very rapidly; Aba is too strategic to be allowed to pine away all on account of one man’s lack of vision and ineptitude. We have been recently told that a new railway line that was supposed to run up to Umuahia cannot get there because of the mountainous refuse heaps in Aba. This character should be called to order as the damage he has wrought on that state has taken the Igbo land further backwards. We have to develop mechanisms of monitoring the performance of our elected and appointed servants.

Apart from Anambra and Enugu states, there has been some apparent lack of visionary leadership in the East. Our leaders have simply failed to realize that the development of Igbo land lies with us. While the South West is pursuing the establishment of a strong South Western economic base, we are busy hankering over empty endorsements that offers absolutely no advantages nor leverages to us. In the very recent past the President has had to fly over Igbo land to land in Akwa Ibom to commission one project or the other, there is nothing for the President to commission in Igbo land so we cannot blame him. Since economic activities are grinding to a halt in Igbo land, we face the prospects of our youths serving as houseboys and girls in the neighboring states of Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers; states that are experiencing some level of economic rebirth.

Our brothers in international trade are compelled to import or export their goods through Lagos because the port infrastructure and tariffs in the Lagos ports are better and lower respectively than ports nearer to the Eastern states. Igbo are therefore tactically denied the opportunity of doing business in their home land or at least close to it. Of course the benefits of such business activities accrue to the states where they are being carried on.

There are a number of issues that should occupy the Igbo groups instead of running after trifles. Igbo land lacks industries to employ our teeming youths; other state governments are attracting industries to their regions, while ours remain focused on running to Abuja to curry favors. In the event of a confederacy the Igbo would have been very seriously shortchanged. It is time to become pro-active; we have been bootlickers for too long. We are blessed by God with human resources, which is the most important resource for economic and other development. Our focus should included making the South Eastern region self sustaining. We must not continue with the concept of Igbo not having any leaders. We must have credible and respectable leaders whose focus should be the region and its people not selves. We must position ourselves to benefit from whosoever becomes head at the center.

It is time to reappraise our political, social and cultural objectives with a view to creating and sustaining a dynamic and modern society where the interest of all is paramount and guaranteed. This is the only safeguard against the rebellion of our youths and the protection of our people from the vicissitude of a new and emerging Nigerian nation.

Source: http://southeast.com.ng/?p=71

Op,so u think an average igboman will change his mind and vote buhari after reading this rubbish.if i can advice apc,i will jst tell them to forget abt igbo votez.here in aba,nobody wantz to hear abt Apc.#alexotti4governorandGEJ4president. UDO!

I am not igbo but I am sure that every observers will notice the defensiveness and lack of depth in the responses to such articles. For the one just before this, it is not about voting Buhari or Jonathan. It is about Ndigbo showing that they can work together and mobilise support for their policies and candidates. That is how political strength and unity is demonstrated. Instead we see APGA in perpetual crisis, and little evidence of cooperation in the region on any matter whatsoever. There article is a lengthy read but it makes interesting points that are worth discussing.