₦airaland Forum

Within a short time, he rose divinely from a dep Governor to a Governor to a VP to AgP to substantive President and a full term President-in-waiting. He led Nigeria into her Jubilee, has held the Nation together and despite few misteps has remained focussed in governance, introducing a novel interactive internet accessibility to the presidency for the first time in Nigeria if not Africa through his Facebook page. He has rolled out a realisable plan for the power sector and will soon roll out his economic blueprint. Despite all his success stories from a teacher to a DGov to Gov to VP, AgP and now President and president in waiting in a matter of years, he remains unassuming ,simple and humble, The recent wikileaks exposes have re-affirmed his sincerety. His traducers just make hasty and generic verdicts of incompetence and cluelessness without any definitive issues to point to just as a way to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it. They accuse him of attempting to bribe SNG but the leader of the group had come out to debunk it. They accuse him of not honouring a vague and unconstitutional party zoning arrangement instead of eulogising him for defending the constitution he swore to. They call him weak and fearful and forget how he fired Aondaaka, Dambazu, IGP Onovo and the entire Military and Security Command and is presently taking on the oldest and toughest cabal in black Africa. Please give it up for Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, President and President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

It is just the beginning. it is not yet Uhuru. Let me repost what I wrote before on the way forward.
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=556605.msg7222633#msg7222633
Posted on Nov 25 2010

1/ Ohaneze should establish a political wing or perhaps adopt APGA and gradually nurture it back to life and position it for the coming elections at the state levels.
2/Using their endorsement for Jonathan as a launching pad they should rebuild Igbo relations with their South south neighbhours exploiting to the fullest the advantages of pre-Independence history, proximity and fillial bonds thereby ensuring a zonal integration that will enable them to launch out full force in 2015 and beyond to capture power at the centre.
3/ Ohaneze should try as much as possible to bring back dissident members into the group using their power of sanctions where necessary.
5/ Ohaneze should establish mechanisms to monitor the Local and state governments in Igboland and also Federal govt activities there.
6/Ohaneze should impress on Town Unions on revival of Igbo moral values and curbing social menaces that lead to crime and even misdeameanors.
7/ Ohaneze should link up with WIC (World Igbo Congress) on the implementation of the WIC Economic blueprint for Igboland.
8/ ohaneze should play a big brother role in the SE and SS in reconciling feuding communities like those fighting in Ebonyi now, Ijaw/ itsekiri, Urhobo/ Itsekiri, Ikwerre/others, Ika/ others etc,
9/ Ohaneze should try and collaborate at the National level with other regional groups to forge National unity and break deadlocks and also lobby them on their agenda for an Igbo presidency not just by shouting it in the pages of Newspapers.

Other suggestions are welcome.

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=649657.msg8158512#msg8158512 date=1303159574]Well said. Let everyone know who was used in this election (or rather, conspired knowingly) to give the presidency to GEJ.[/quote]So that, ,

“We condemn ANY and EVERY form of violence. We lost elections in 2003 and 2007 and went to court. We WILL NEVER resort to violence. We ask that all our supporters and all Nigerians to remain peaceful and law abiding citizens of Nigeria. GOD Bless Nigeria and Nigerians.”
- Gen Muhammadu Buhari on his facebook page

Interesting development. Surely these bloodletting Almajiris have checked BB's facebook status on their BB and have stopped their mayhem. No Army was needed. BB's Facebook status update on their BB did the trick.

@ OP. Clap for yourself. Keep sitting on the fence to see who wins the violence before you join the winning side. Wonderful formlessness.

De Sheikh:
@poster
I used to feel the same way until my enlightenment as a muslim got to the point where I only see people as people. I am me. I did not choose my ethnicity, or even my family for that matter. All humans are capable of good and/or evil.
That said, I feel angered by the senseless violence and condemn it in strong words. The painful part is that a good number of these miscreants did not even vote and they have the guts to blame others for what, if you ask me, they brought upon us ( the true supporters of Buhari). I commited my resources to the BB cause and even had to drive all the way from Kano (on Friday), stayed in a hotel close to where I registered, in order to vote for Buhari on Saturday in Kaduna (my company transfered me from Kaduna shortly after I registered). I then drove back in the evening to Kano only to have my family trapped in the middle of the riot this morning. Thank God I was able to drive through the thick of it all to get them back home before soldiers were deployed to quell the uprising.
My friend, it is people like you & I who can change this unbecoming attitude of our people. start with your immediate family and close associates and we can move from there. Don't be ashamed. you are you. Shun the stereotypes and live your life free.
Allah Ya taimake mu.

Wow with the existence of more of such folks like this poster and the OP in both North and South, I believe that there is still hope for Nigeria.

Oh no. nOT AGAIN

[quote author=na_so link=topic=648419.msg8146263#msg8146263 date=1303033751]AS AN IJAWMAN I PROSTRATE TO SAY AN UNRESERVED thank you to our Igbo brothers, by the grace of God the cracks in our wall, due to the happenings of the past will be mended in the next four years.

After voting i went back to witness the counting of votes but was not just surprised by the overwhelming igbo presence there, but was almost moved to tears when one of them told me he was actually the coordinator sent by ohaneze to record all votes and return back. Sincerely we cant thank you guys enough. The reconcilliation process may not be so smooth be by HIS grace we will get there.[/quote]Ndigbo were given a tough choice but I am happy that it came at a time they had a vissionary Ohaneze leadership that led them to be magnanimous and make the required sacrifice. To the surprise of many who had always banked on Igbo disunity, they united and responded to the leadership of Ohaneze without any reservation. It is really a virtuos and humble thing Ndigbo did throwing their lot behind a younger brother that had not been that gracious in the past. I believe God will reward their humility and graciousness even if GEJ does not win( even though that is unlikely) or even if the Ijaws and other S Southerners do not reciprocate or Nigeria does not respond. To do the right thing will always stand the test of time. The SW seemed to have realised it at the 11th hour and did come round. They also should be commended because it is better late than never.

@ Andre. You are welcome. You are the man in spite of  many insults from naysayers you stood unwavering like the Iroko. We look forward to achieving the Nigeria of our dreams ably driven by Zik Jonathan.

vintage nduchuks. Inserting falsehood between layers of truth thinking that folks will not find out. Sorry you have met guys smarter than you here.

Those who have Buhari's ears should advise him against his plans for the next few days. violence will never bode well for Nigeria.
1/ Emotional blackmail.
2/ Allegations of rigging even before the results are announced.
3/ purchase of Bazookas and AK 47s .
4/ You can fill in the gaps.

Those who have Buhari's ears should advise him against his plans for the next few days. violence will never bode well for Nigeria.
1/ Emotional blackmail.
2/ Allegations of rigging even before the results are announced.
3/ purchase of Bazookas and AK 47s .
4/ You can fill in the gaps.

[quote author=Omo_Tier1 link=topic=648419.msg8146072#msg8146072 date=1303030316]This is why IGBOS are regarded as the outcast of Nigeria 'cos of thier cunninness. The onlybreason they rigged votes enblock for PDP is 'cos they think they will be given the Presidency come 2015 but I feel so sorry for them that they have been deceived again as they have always being.[/quote]Are such derogations still allowed on NL. I thought the place had been sanitised.

EzeUche:
Of course, those words were used out of context my brother. I have always loved the Ijaw though. They at times upsetted me, but those days are in the past. I am looking for a brighter future of peace and prosperity amongst our brothers and sisters in the Niger Delta.

Thanks Ezeuche for this. I plead with you to be steadfast on this stand and not backslide again soon.

Better Title this time

Those who have Buhari's ears should advise him against his plans for the next few days. violence will never bode well for Nigeria.
1/ Emotional blackmail.
2/ Allegations of rigging even before the results are announced.
3/ purchase of Bazookas and AK 47s .
4/ You can fill in the gaps.

Please when did INEC announce the winner? SMH. I just dey laugh at the funny sommersaults of many anti-GEJ Nlers. Suddenly GEJ is the face of change. The thing we have been shouting for many months now in the face of so much abuse from many NLers. Just the whiff of a GEJ victory even before the results are announced is making folks try to stand on their heads for GEJ and praise the wonderful generosity and calculation of their people even before the results are analysed to know who exactly voted GEJ in the SW and why. I feel like throwing up.

comic relief

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW. IT WAS ALL ABOUT OIL, STU.PID.


The propaganda machine of the federal government has  had phenomenal success  making us believe that the war was fought to keep Nigeria one. I have come to realize  that the  main reason for the civil war executed against Biafra was the  discovery of  OIL in commercial qauntity in eastern Nigeria, pure and simple.
I now understand why Gowon's words of the basis of Nigerian unity no longer existing changed dramatically a few days later to ' To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done' and the cries of 'araba'  suddenly changed to 'one nigeria.'
I now understand why the North and West that had wanted to go it alone few years before were now the supervisors of a ferocious war against the Easterners in the guise of One nigeria and why the Aburi accord was betrayed.
I now understand  that why Gowon created states the way he did was to remove the areas with the oil out of the control of Biafra. Good divide and conquer tactic and it worked.
I now understand why the Nasir boundary adjustment panel excised most of the oil-producing communities out of East central state and why even communities still left for them had their oil wells put under rivers state eg Owaza. It is only about 3 years ago that some wells were handed back to Abia state but I do not know whether the resources accruing from those wells over the years were reparated to Abia.

I can now understand why every government wants to loot as much as possible instead of embarking on Nation building.Loot as much as you can before the oil dries up and everybody now goes his way. Probably they put its life span to say 10 or 20 years so chop as much as you can.

I  now understand why oil blocks have been divided up among themselves as well as top positions in oil companies.
I  now understand  why the FG has underdeveloped the SS and SE , where mosts of the oil and gas is found, THEY WERE IN A HURRY TO LOOT AND GO.
If they had been smart, they would have done to them what US did to Germany and Japan, develop to control and there would never have been a MASSOB, MOSOP or MEND.
I  now understand why the SE and SS has been excluded from power so that they do not know what is happenning
I  now understand why the cabal resisted GEJ's acting presidency and his impending full tenured presidency.
Many things will be exposed by GEJ's presidency not to talk of an Igbo presidency.I need to get a shock absorber.

When I was a child I behaved like a child but now I am a grown-up so I have put childish things behind me and so can reason like a grown up.
I once was lost but now I am found
I was blind but now I can see.

What a bad loser?

spade:
Beautiful. Just the way I love it. Already getting antagonistic? And I'm just warming up
She got me laughing hard with her last post, which was riddled with so many logical inconsistencies, as well as failed attempts at wise sarcasm (which have all flopped hard, of course); but it turns out this new post of hers is even worse. I've had meaningful debates with many reasonable individuals who, very much unlike you, have got the intelligence, substance and sense of sound objectivity to actually back up their claims effectively. So, my dear Kobojunkie, on this here thread, I'm going to have the sweet pleasure of properly exposing you for the shamefully clueless and condescending individual you truly are. And these are my points:

Point #1: Victim Complex
First and foremost, I find it funny you actually typed this heaping mess of a post above, when it is glaring to every reader in here that this diatribe of yours holds absolutely no water. Or are you also being 'sarcastic' once again?
Here - let me revisit the chain of events just to boost your brain up to speed:
1. Kobo tries to be funny
2. Houvest objects
3. Kobo demands evidence
4. Kobo gets outsmarted and taken to the cleaners
5. Kobo, realizing she had just been defeated, decides to focus on Houvest's choice of words (seriously, exactly how pathetic are you?)
6. Kobo gets SCHOOLED
7. Kobo meaninglessly rambles on about being attacked
8. Spade shows her the error of her ways
9. And the wailing continues.

Yeah, that's more like it. I hope this tackles each and every one of the meaningless garbage you just typed up there. Next.
Point #2: Hypocrisy And Desperation
Wow! You know what I find funny? In your desperate attempt to actually score some cheap points, you've unwittingly butchered the same thing you've been preaching to people all along, which is the practice of Reading And Processing. Now, could you please carefully read my posts and tell me exactly when I made[b] any[/b] personal attacks in your direction resembling the above quoted?
You see? You were so quick to paint me black, but only ended up exposing your own hypocrisy. You been wan open my yansh make we believe say you dey rack sense, but as God dey work things, na im you come open your own yansh, much to your self-humiliation.
I've seen your antics on other threads, where you constantly charge people on to "Focus on the argument" - but isn't it just funny that, after getting served by Houvest on this thread, you resorted to picking on his usage of the word, "Spurious," instead of actually focusing on the subject matter?
With all these blatant goofs of yours, exactly how do you expect educated people to take you seriously, when you have astronomically failed to practice what you preach?
Unfortunately, that is a shallow, meaningless and illogical lie. And this baseless statement of yours only goes to confirm Point #3: Mediocre Intelligence In Comprehension, and Poor Argumentative Skills
Your poor self-esteem, in this context, comes from your negativity and eagerness to brand me an 'attacker' simply for politely calling you out to order on your predictable tactics. What this means, in your case, is that you lack the power to handle even the slightest form of criticism, seeing that you perceive anyone who dares not agree with your distorted arguments as a 'dog.' Case in point? Me.

Oh my God. I just could not stop laughing. But please spade, enough already. Let us all call a truce.

As an aside, Are you really this young? It appears there are many Bawomolos on NL.

fstranger3:
^^^

So why do keep saying that the AG was a Yoruba party?

Please read the bolded from Katsumoto's post I responded to: In the spirit of democracy, Egbe Omo Yoruba was formed on the basis that the Yoruba did not have a political party

Kobojunkie:
^^^ First off, copying the meaning is not same as learning it. You actually have to READ IT, PROCESS IT's meaning, to understand why your rant has been a silly one. But then again, I DOUBT you actually READ cause it seems more like you REACT first and then you look around to count how many brownie points ndi otu gi are willing to dole out to you for your tirade (not sure if you even use your head later) . . .lol

Insults will not wash. Next.

The new tactic is quite predictable, leave the issue and seek to distract through semantics.  This also will not wash.

spu·ri·ous  (spyr-s)
adj.
1. Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine; false.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/spurious

spu·ri·ous
   /ˈspyʊəriəs/  Show Spelled
[spyoor-ee-uhs]  Show IPA

–adjective
1.
not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spurious
spu·ri·ous Adjective   /ˈspyo͝orēəs/
Synonyms:
adjective: false, sham, counterfeit, bogus, mock, phony, phoney, dummy, supposititious, fake, artificial
1.Not being what it purports to be; false or fake
■separating authentic and spurious claims
2.(of a line of reasoning) Apparently but not actually valid
■this spurious reasoning results in nonsense
3.(of offspring) Illegitimate
http://www.google.com.ng/dictionary?q=spurious&langpair=en|en&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TPpaTduDHMqs8Ab52Y2cDg&ved=0CCUQmwMoAA

Please teacher do not teach me nonsense.

dayokanu:
Look at the list of officers in the NCNC that Katsumoto posted

Herbert Macaulay - President, Azikiwe - General Secretary, Oyeshile Omage - Financial Secretary, Dr Olorun-Nimbe - Treasurer, Onojobi and Ogedengbe - Auditors, Akerele and Odunsi - Legal advicers

Only Zik was the non Yoruba in it. Would you say that was a non Yoruba party? I believe the ACN and APGA tagged as ethnic parties of today are not even dominated at the top in that manner by any group

Wrong logic with all due respect. Please read Katsumoto's post after yours. The executive does not define a party but the ideology.

Katsumoto:
Who started the NCNC and where was it started? You have to understand the origins of the NCNC to be able to address this appropriately. NCNC was a union amongst remnants of the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM), Nigerian Youth Circle (NYC), and the Nigerian Reconstruction Group (NRG), Nigerian Union of Students and other small trade unions. All were formed in the Lagos with NUS being the exception as it was formed in Abeokuta,and all predominantly had Yoruba leaders with the inclusion of Zik.

At its third meeting, officers of NCNC were elected. Herbert Macaulay - President, Azikiwe - General Secretary, Oyeshile Omage - Financial Secretary, Dr Olorun-Nimbe - Treasurer, Onojobi and Ogedengbe - Auditors, Akerele and Odunsi - Legal advicers. Clearly, NCNC was a Yoruba party which later transformed into an Eastern party. In the spirit of democracy, Egbe Omo Yoruba was formed on the basis that the Yoruba did not have a political party. Before the Egbe Omo Yoruba, there were the Igbo Union, Ibibio State Union, Youth Social Circle in Sokoto. Egbe omo Yoruba later became the AG, Youth Social Circle became the NPC. The Igbo union and Ibibio State Union would later join with NCNC after the death of Herbert Macauley.

In effect, in the North, there was one heavyweight party, the NPC, in the East, NCNC but in the West, there were two big parties (AG and NCNC; both having well educated and erudite Yoruba sons. This was good for democracy in the West because it meant that there was no dominant party. It would have continued in this way if Zik did not seek to become the leader of the Western House. With the NCNC forming in the West and having many Yoruba sons as members, Zik was always going to have a following among some Yoruba. The AG did not form in the East so it would have been a tall order for the AG to win seats in the East; whereas the NCNC was a party even before Egbo Omo Yoruba was formed.

If one argues that the NCNC was successful in the West (we know why), why wasn't it successful in the North? Why did Zik not have a following in the North? I accept that Zik was an intelligent and charismatic leader and he probably had inter-tribal affluence more than the other politicians of his era but why wasn't he able to make inroads into the North? The fact is that Zik had a following in the West because the Yoruba are an open-minded bunch. This can also be seen in the manner the Oyo politicians and stalwarts of the Ibadan People Party such as Kola Balogun, Akintola, Akinloye, Adelabu, Olunloyo, etc aligned with the North.

I hope this answers the last question posed in your post.

Quick question. What was the need for a Yoruba party since as you said NCNC was a party joining East and West? It was first led by, Macaulay, a Yoruba? and later Zik, an Igbo. What was the need for a Yoruba party sionce Igbos, Ijaws, Efiks, Edos had none. They had sociocultural organizations and all operated under one political umbrela, NCNC.  It was only the North that had her own party.while NCNC tried to be Nigerian. I am not asking this question to denigrate anybody but really trying to know why egbe omo oduduwa decided to transform into a political party. Dont you think if NCNC had remained as the paramount southern party, it not only would have won the power at the centre and even more than that would have ensured southern, if not national unity?

lol . . . moment of weakness ?? . . . It's just that I find it disturbing how these nonentities continue to paint Ibos in such vile, despicable, colors on here!

[/quote]Another spurious claim. Making general statements and trying to use insults to intimidate folks who call you out to substantiate your claims will not just wash.
Few examples will suffice.

[quote author=spade link=topic=604536.msg7734846#msg7734846 date=1297779171]In a way, true. There are some people in here I find quite overzealous with the ethnocentric style of reasoning. But then, like many other Igbos in real life, they do not speak for me.
Sometimes, it gets quite exasperating, to be honest.

Ah well *shrugs* It's all for the laughs, I suppose.

Supporting a spurious claim does not make you smarter than others bros. Granted there are some overzealous Igbo posters here as there are also those, if not more from other ethnics. In the same way there are also responsible folks on the forum. Nobody really knows whom the other is as it is an anonymous forum. However the poster in question has a tendency to bracket every poster that has pro Ohaneze views as a nonentity or brainless. It is very wrong to disrespect folks with contrary views. Even if your opponents insult you, going into the gutter with them, shows you also as unprincipled. If you feel someone is overzealous, try calling him to order humbly. If he does not accept, leave him alone nd continue discussing with others. Nobody speaks for any other person here. Speak for yourself bro. Anbody who comes here and says he is speaking for all Igbos, when he is not Ohaneze, and you take him serious, you have yourself to examine not the selfglorifying person. Even though Ohaneze attempts to speak for Ndigbo, yet it does not force anyone to follow her . She only tries to lead, which Ndigbo needs. We will follow them unless we see that they have lost the right to that followership. Yet there still will be dissidents in a republican society as Igboland.

Katsumoto:
Who started the NCNC and where was it started? You have to understand the origins of the NCNC to be able to address this appropriately. NCNC was a union amongst remnants of the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM), Nigerian Youth Circle (NYC), and the Nigerian Reconstruction Group (NRG), Nigerian Union of Students and other small trade unions. All were formed in the Lagos with NUS being the exception as it was formed in Abeokuta,and all predominantly had Yoruba leaders with the inclusion of Zik.

At its third meeting, officers of NCNC were elected. Herbert Macaulay - President, Azikiwe - General Secretary, Oyeshile Omage - Financial Secretary, Dr Olorun-Nimbe - Treasurer, Onojobi and Ogedengbe - Auditors, Akerele and Odunsi - Legal advicers. Clearly, NCNC was a Yoruba party which later transformed into an Eastern party. In the spirit of democracy, Egbe Omo Yoruba was formed on the basis that the Yoruba did not have a political party. Before the Egbe Omo Yoruba, there were the Igbo Union, Ibibio State Union, Youth Social Circle in Sokoto. Egbe omo Yoruba later became the AG, Youth Social Circle became the NPC. The Igbo union and Ibibio State Union would later join with NCNC after the death of Herbert Macauley.

In effect, in the North, there was one heavyweight party, the NPC, in the East, NCNC but in the West, there were two big parties (AG and NCNC; both having well educated and erudite Yoruba sons. This was good for democracy in the West because it meant that there was no dominant party. It would have continued in this way if Zik did not seek to become the leader of the Western House. With the NCNC forming in the West and having many Yoruba sons as members, Zik was always going to have a following among some Yoruba. The AG did not form in the East so it would have been a tall order for the AG to win seats in the East; whereas the NCNC was a party even before Egbo Omo Yoruba was formed.

If one argues that the NCNC was successful in the West (we know why), why wasn't it successful in the North? Why did Zik not have a following in the North? I accept that Zik was an intelligent and charismatic leader and he probably had inter-tribal affluence more than the other politicians of his era but why wasn't he able to make inroads into the North? The fact is that Zik had a following in the West because the Yoruba are an open-minded bunch. This can also be seen in the manner the Oyo politicians and stalwarts of the Ibadan People Party such as Kola Balogun, Akintola, Akinloye, Adelabu, Olunloyo, etc aligned with the North.

I hope this answers the last question posed in your post.

Thanks bros for this. I wholly agree with you except for where you said that NCNC was a Yoruba party. NCNC started as a National party with ideals for pan Nigerianism as strongly espoused by Marcaulay and at its rebirth, under Zik, the same principles were espoused. Their over-riding passion was to free Nigeria from the shackles of the whiteman. It never was a yoruba or Igbo or even a southern party but was a National party till perhaps after the carpet-crossing incidence when it then tended more to the East. Yet after it, it had the largest national spread. Therefore , seeing its strength in the east and west, then, your question as to why the leader should aspire leadership of the western house should then be moot. In other words, you have answered your own question. the same question I was trying to answer with that quote viz:

I am not demozing Zik; I am simply stating that given his stance before the cross-carpeting incident, he should have attempted to become the premier of the East rather than the premier of the West. Given Awo's love of everything Yoruba, wouldn't it have been funny for him to attempt to become premier of the East? Lets be pragmatic and realistic rather than idealistic. It would be nice if we live in an idealistic world but we don't, besides one man's idealism is another man's hell

Which last question were you refering to in my post? I asked no questions but was attempting to answer yours. If you were refering to the 'The million dollar question' mentioned in my quote, it was not asked by me but the yoruba son I quoted.

Katsumoto wrote
Given the sort of politics and the atmosphere pervading the country at that time, yes it was inconceivable for an Igbo man or woman to contest a seat in the North. If you have evidence of any Igbo/Easterner contesting in the North, please share. We are all here to learn. Eyo Ita (an Ibiobio) was from the Eastern Region and as such was qualified to be premier of the East but guess what happened after Zik was not elected as Premier of the West? He returned to the East and replaced the Ibibio replicating what was done to him in the West.

My qaurel was with the word 'inconceivable'. Granted that the North was more protective of her politics than the south, why should it be inconceivable for an Igbo to contest in the North  if he had been living there for long then? I do not have evidence to deny your assertion, but actually the onus of proof is on he that asserts not on he that denies, and though it may be true that it never happened, my contention is that it should not be inconceivable bearing in mind that that was the nationalist era and ethnicity had not eaten into nigerian politics and if a fulani man can win an election in enugu, why should it be inconceivable for an Igboman or Yoruba or Efik,etc, to contest elections in the North. Samplers:


Like U.K. and Russia, but unlike the U.S., Nigeria has homelands for all ethnicities: Hausa, lbo, Yoruba, ljaw, Urhobo, Jukun, Igbirra, Ibibio, Tiv, Edo ltsekiri and others. Nigeria is synonymous with homelands. Not long before Independence, Alhaji Umoru Altine, an Hausa/Fulani, was mayor of Enugu; an Ibo, Obidike won elections into the Western House in lbadan from Ajegunle, Lagos; Ekuyasi, an lbo from lbusa won elections to Ibadan from Benin. Ernest lkoli, from Rivers State was dominant in Lagos politics. These happened in those good old days of nationalist movement.
http://www.dawodu.com/ayomike1.htm


In spite of what looked like petty chauvinism within the parties, it is a fact that Umaru Altine a fine Hausa gentleman was elected Mayor of Enugu.  Mazi Mbonu Ojike served as Deputy Mayor of Lagos. This was the Nigeria that people of my generation saw growing up. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. A country where your domiciliary status entitles you to full expression of your potential as happens in most of the civilised world was the model we had.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/09/nigeria50-lugard-keeps-shaping-nigeria/

On the Eyo Ita issue, while some have argued that he (Eyo) should have found it easy to move over for the party leader ( instead of allowing an intra-party tensions and feuds that eventually led to ethnic tensions)  in order for the party leadership not to go into limbo and by extension the party as is done all over the world, I personally think that it was a misstep by Zik  and a negation of his pan-Nigeria vision and that he should have maintained the moral high ground by continuing to lead  the opposition in the western house, but however the choice was his and I repect it and so will not demonise him because of my opinion and because I have the benefit of hindsight. I can only disagree with his step there but like you pointed out, it is not a world of idealism but that of pragmatism even though we desperately need the idealists to contineously show the light. Whether we follow is another thing.

@ Katsumoto

See the take of a Yoruba son on the issue of Zik's bid to the Western house and why Awo could not have made a similliar bid to the Eastern House

[b]I see Akure as the best example of the ideal Nigeria we all want to see on issues relating to ethnicity and tribalism. I recall Akure and Ilesha as being strong holds of the NCNC in the late 50s and early 60s before the first military coup of January 15, 1966. The NCNC used to defeat the Action Group in Akure Metropolis, arms down, in every election, but the Action Group always made up for their losses when the votes from the suburbs namely Ifedore, made up of Igbaraoke, Ijare, Ilara, and other towns like Iju and Itaigbolu and other places were added to the tally, because Akure could care less about the tribal origin of Nnamdi Azikiwe. We loved him for his education, his charisma, handsome personality and track record as a fire eater of a journalist. When Azikiwe narrowly lost to Awolowo and the Action Group in 1954 due to the Mobolaje Grand Alliance cross carpet episode, many Akure people including myself were shedding tears for Zik and heaping abuses on Awo and Akinloye for snatching victory from the NCNC because we thought the great Zik was one of us. Most of the top Akure elites like the late J. B. Arifalo-Adedipe, the father of current Elemo Bolanle Adedipe, late Pa Adegbola, late Pa Faleye Igun (O sari mo sa Oogun) were all distinguished members of the NCNC and they all preferred Azikiwe's leadership to Obafemi Awolowo just like many distinguished sons of the West like Pa Odeleye Fadahunsi of Ilesha, late Adeniran Ogunsanya, late Theophillus Sobowale Benson and late Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemess of Ibadan including Richard Osuolale Akinjide and the present Olubadan, Oba Odulana, were all staunch members of the NCNC. They all wanted Azikiwe to defeat Awo in the spirit of one Nigeria. You can count many distinguished Yoruba leaders, men and women, who could die for Zik and the NCNC.

On the contrary, there were very few Igbo men like Samuel Goomsu Ikoku, Philip Umeadi and Ajaluchukwu who extended the same commitment to Awo and the Action Group at the time. Could the Action Group under Awolowo ever have won in the Eastern Region as many seats as the NCNC had won in the old West? It is a million Dollar question. The resounding answer, however, is "Never".
[/b]
http://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/akintide/102810.html

Katsumoto wrote
I am not demozing Zik; I am simply stating that given his stance before the cross-carpeting incident, he should have attempted to become the premier of the East rather than the premier of the West. Given Awo's love of everything Yoruba, wouldn't it have been funny for him to attempt to become premier of the East? Lets be pragmatic and realistic rather than idealistic. It would be nice if we live in an idealistic world but we don't, besides one man's idealism is another man's hell.

Of course hindsight they say is 20/20 but many who ask this question have not tried to understand the man Zik and Zikism and where NCNC was coming from.
Zik was a pan Africanist and  a pan-nigerianist before being an Igboist. Anybody who grasps this will be able to understand many of the things he did like 1/going to start his Nationalist movement in Ghana instead of Nigeria, 2/ Coming back to live in the west instead of the East and giving his children yoruba middle names, 3/ mastering the major Nigerian languages and actually campaigning with them 4/ pushing strongly for a strong one Nigeria and Africa instead of only North and South or East or West in 1958 .5/ refusing to be a primeminister under a southern alliance but choosing to be a president under a North/ south alliance. Indeed his peculiar vision for one Nigeria made him a master of compromises.I remember when he was asked why he did not become a PM under an NCNC/ AG alliance, his answer was this, 'we made compromises for the good of the Nation.'
You are right that we do not live in an ideal world but Zik was also right to have a vision and pursue it the way he felt best, after all, we all have our callings. Judging him therefore on the basis of regional or tribal politics as espoused by Awo or Okpara or even Ikemba will be a wrong premise of judgement and many Nigerians have made that mistake.He was human and made mistakes but the two times he wavered in his pan-Nigeria vision, in the Eyo-ita saga and Biafra, he came back to it with a vengeance. For this Nigeria does honour him. Zik is arguably the most honoured Nigerian and at the completion of his mausoleum at Onitsha which is a complex with several facilities like Library, Conference centre, etc, You might realize that Nigeria really apreciates what Zik did for her and might start seeing reason with his  vision and politics. As long as Nigeria remains one country, Zik remains one of her foremost heroes.

"Azikiwe attended various grammar and high schools in Onitsha, Calabar, and Lagos. He spent almost 10 years (1925–34) studying in the United States, where he attended several schools, including Howard University in Washington, D.C. In 1934 he went to the Gold Coast (now Ghana), where he founded a newspaper and was a mentor to Kwame Nkrumah (first president of Ghana) before returning to Nigeria in 1937. There he founded and edited newspapers and also became directly involved in politics, first with the Nigerian Youth Movement and later (1944) as a founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), which became increasingly identified with the Igbo people of southern Nigeria after 1951. In 1948, with the backing of the NCNC, Azikiwe was elected to the Nigerian Legislative Council, and he later served as premier of the Eastern region (1954–59)."

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/46875/Nnamdi-Azikiwe

Azikiwe was born in Zungeru, northern Nigeria, on November 16, 1904. His father was a clerical worker for the then British administrator.

He was educated at Christian mission schools before going to the United States, where he studied for nine years at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, and the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in philosophy and anthropology.

Lincoln University instituted a professorial chair in honour of Azikiwe at a lavish ceremony in 1994 where he was eulogised.

To pay his way, the ambitious young African took jobs as a lift operator, miner and dishwasher. He was also a keen athlete.

Azikiwe returned home in 1937 and became a messianic figure in the nationalist movement while working in journalism, commerce and politics.

He once described Nigeria's achievement of independence from Britain as "the consummation of my life's work." But despite his anti-colonialism struggle, he retained friendship with Britain.

After his American studies he went to the Gold Coast -- now Ghana -- as a propagandist for the nationalist cause. One of his pupils was the late Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's future president.

Within 10 years he had become president of the National Council for Nigeria and the Cameroons, a political party which joined radical elements that emerged during World War Two.

He also launched five newspapers and wrote regular columns, stirring up nationalism in Nigeria and the West Coast of Africa.

After a long period in opposition in the Western House of Assembly, Azikiwe became the first prime minister of Eastern Nigeria, one of the then colony's three regions.

Adult sufferage, a wide programme of economic and social development, and administrative reorganisation were introduced under his premiership.

http://www.h-net.org/~africa/obituaries/zik.html