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2023: A NATION IN SEARCH OF LIGHT IN A DARK ALLEY

By Ken Eluma Asogwa.

A friend recently told me pointedly that Peter Obi would win the February 25th presidential election but he would not be the president of Nigeria. Reason? "He is Igbo; he's Biafra", my friend quipped. Admittedly, my friend agreed with me that Obi would make a better president than his two major opponents, especially given his past antecedents, but his being Igbo is a major dent on his chances, he restated.

When I probed further in trying to understand what was wrong with Obi's ethnic background, my very good friend did not waste a second in reminding me about the events of 1966 and how it dovetailed into Peter Obi's forebears wanting to leave Nigeria. According to him, it would be dangerous to entrust the presidency of Nigeria in the hands of an Igboman, let alone one who has not been 'diluted'.

He went further to define a diluted Igbo as one who grew up in the North, speaks Hausa, and who would have lived amongst 'northerners' well enough to be trusted. He even cited Orji Uzor Kalu and Rochas Okorocha -two Igbo politicians who have spent considerable number of years in the North - as examples of Igbos who have earned the trust of the North to be supported to lead Nigeria, and not a certain Peter Obi who he claimed has never visited the North, let alone understanding their complexities.

My friend conveniently forgot that Peter Obi deputized Atiku Abubakar in 2019 and would have toured the entire 36 states in the process. Meanwhile, when I reminded him that Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu grew up in Kaduna, spoke Hausa very fluently, and yet spearheaded a coup d'etat that led to the deaths of influencial 'northerners', he felt a bit disarmed.

That said, however, it would be facile for me to simply gloss over my friend's apprehension with a possible Peter Obi presidency without allaying his fears of a plausible disintegration of Nigeria under his watch. I will clearly deal with that anxiety in one sentence so we can progress to the next level. Peter Obi cannot break up Nigeria because he doesn't have the powers to do so, and even if he had the powers, he doesn't have to, because it is not in the interest of his ethnic group to have a split Nigeria. Now, let's flip to the events that succeeded the civil war, especially in juxtaposition with the progress, if any, we have made in the area of quality of our present day politics and quest for nationhood.

In 1979, just nine years after a bitter civil war, the three leading political parties in the Second Republic - NPN, UPN and NPP - respectively had Shagari/Ekwueme, Awolowo/Umeadi and Azikiwe/Audu on the ballot. The import of the above is that nine years after the Igbos attempted to secede from Nigeria, the region was still considered politically viable in the Nigerian political equation to the extent that the duo of Shagari and Awolowo considered it expedient to go for Igbo running mates in the election.

In short, Awolowo had to make the tough decision of going to the East for the choice of running mate at the expense of looking the way of the North. It is to be noted that a northern deputy would indeed have provided more balance - both in terms of regional, ethnic and religious balance - to Awolowo's ticket, but he overlooked all that to go to the East. That was how far the protagonists of that bitter war were ready to go to ensure full reintegration of the Igbo into Nigeria's political mainstream.

It is therefore very concerning that 44 years after the events of 1979, and about 53 years after the end of the civil war, the present day Nigerian politicians have sworn that the codes of that war must be reenacted. I shudder at the level of stigmatization and dangerous rhetorics coming out from the mouths of persons wanting to govern Nigeria today. Let's face the facts, if Peter Obi fails to win the 2023 election, the reason is simply because he is Igbo. It's shocking that in a race that has Tinubu and Atiku - the two most infamous Nigerian politicians today - Peter Obi would be struggling for acceptance. It speaks to the level of bigotry in our system.

I really don't understand how Peter Obi, who was barely five years when the 1966 crisis began, should suffer the consequences of the events of that era. And it is befuddling seeing how some Nigerians are willing, albeit intentionally, to make the wrong choices just to avoid electing a credible leader from a detested tribe. Why must we cut our nose to spite our face? This is crazy!

While I have not set out to dress Peter Obi in any angelic robe, my point is that given the proven abysmal records of his present opponents in the coming election, it is only commonsensical that we try to find out if salvation could come through the Gentile who is the only one with the right messaging. We can't continue like this. We can't!

The United Kingdom has in the aftermath of the Brexit been faced with serious economic challenges that centred on poor leadership. They have tried Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, yet no headway. Common sense dictated to the British people that racism should take the back seat while they went in search of redemption for their country. And that was how Rishi Sunak, an Indian-British, was recruited to clean the mess left behind by the so-called British bloods. There is a wise saying that if you're desirous of coming out out of a hole, the first wise decision is to stop digging. Nigeria is on the cusp of coming out of her hole only if it can stop digging, and the only realistic way of halting this drift is to vote in the right person on 25th February, irrespective of where he comes from.

While I understand that even the western world is today faced with the challenges of nationhood, ours cringes the ear with the way we go about it. While other societies make efforts to build nations out of how they were lumped together, we, in our clime, take pride in allowing centrifugal forces to take centre stage thereby making the hope of ever attaining nationhood a mirage.

If our redemption would come from the descendant of a people who once rebelled against the state; if it would come from the dark alleys of the East, please let's forgive them and elect Peter Obi to help us fix Nigeria. Nigeria is hemorrhaging and will soon bleed to death if nothing is urgently done to treat the wound. Some of us who grew up in the post civil war Nigeria do not really understand why a nation would throw away her best on account of events that have nothing to do with us.

My generation has never seen the Nigeria that works. The people who are fanning the embers of bigotry in today's Nigeria were beneficiaries of Nigeria that worked in the past. They would never cease to regale us with some nostalgic recollections of how they studied on scholarships 'when Nigeria was good'; how Naira was more valuable than the United States dollars in the 70s/80s and how they paid N170 to fly to London on Nigeria Airways in the 70s and early 80s. They should allow us define our own future and stop confusing us. I nonetheless take solace in the fact that Peter Obi's greatest strength lies in the energy of the Nigerian youths who are not listening to the fixated mindsets of their parents.

I will therefore end this piece by highlighting my most important takeaway from Olusegun Obasanjo's admonition to the Nigerian youths in his 1st January, 2023 letter to the latter. He wrote: "Can we let the past go? I appeal to the young Nigerians to stop inheriting other people’s prejudices and enemies. Make your own friends and stop inheriting your father’s enemies.

"Let’s stop criminalising and demonising one another on the basis of the civil war on which we are all wrong. And let’s praise and thank God for preserving the oneness of Nigeria".

Asogwa, a lawyer and foreign relations expert, is the CEO of Afri Forecasts and can be reached via email-

@ k.e.asogwa@afriforecasts.com

Kennyswag:
God bless the thug and his family

May thunder fire Seun Osewa and his moderators for allowing this post.


And good you miscreanting urchin, let there be no peace with you.


Evil soul.

lhordspy:

No we are not. We have been far far divided, partitioned, marginalised to be. All thanks to a specific candidate that rides and thrives on religious marginalisation, ethnic division and aggressive, disrespectful, uncultured mob support.

Call me a bigot or anything. But I will never accept to be tagged a brother, friends with person or people who align, engage, or stand as an apologist to people who called my country a zoo.

I am a champion of unity and oneness to the core . I preach, pray, clamour and crave for togetherness but i am also sensible and conscious enough to know my fellow Nigerians and differentiate them from clowns and pretenders who are still harbouring hate, and continuing fighting a civil war which ended so many years in disguise of running for presidency.

To answer your question: Datti Ahmed is a good man with pure heart. I hold him in high-esteem irrespective of his bad choice of political alliance with enemies of the country.

You're truly a criminal.


A blood thirsty villain.


May it never be well with you with this your genocidal mindset!

Thinkam:
Na still Obi name full him mouth


Obi that will drop out of the race latest December..

Atiku is coming

can you now see you're very stupid.

Has Obi dropped?

May God punish you severely for your idiocy.
I'll still get back to you fool.

post=120765370:
Oh Boy Yeeee 😲 😮 😲.

THIS IS MASSIVELY MASSIVE MEHN!

Na crowd be dis wey be like Bar beach sand!!!


JAGABAN, OUr incoming president, after our darling Daddy,
By God's Grace,
Insha Allah.

[b]Madam Ngo of [color=#006600]@MANNA, representing all of us at [color=#006600][/color] below...

You this evil guy.


Why do you post fake pictures?


Very evil fellow.


https://www.nairaland.com/7561797/picture-apc-sokoto-rally-nairaland


Bar Beach sand melt you there for carrying fake news.

OnyeAshuaUru:
Nobody knows who the hell is Seun Kuti, talk more of knowing that he's a musician.
Mildly put, my very self plus my 11 kids, my two wives and 10 concubines have never heard the name Seun Keti talk more of hearing any of his certainly depressing songs.
A new Nigeria is POssible.
Vote LP



Joke apart, I'm no student of Nigerian music, but I know the three musicians you mentioned above very well and can sing along to at least five of their songs each. In fact, as a student around 2011, I used to read all through the night with MI's rap playing back to back on my PC.
But you see this dirty bloke you call Seun Kuti, I repeat that I have never heard of him talk more of hearing any song he made. To hell with his audio achievements! They don't make Nigerians dance like PSquare have been doing for decades now.

Uru nwanem. Ime aga? Pu'rehe m'nyi. Ag' onyeke b'ib.

yarimo:
UNKNOWN GUN MEN = PETER OBI and his supporters

You are a very stupid person for making this comment.

LordviccoDaGuru:
Some people will get high BP tonight ooo Lawan Is Coming. Lawan Is a strong public, Lawan served Buhari whole heartedly and arroved all Buhari's request. He didn't know a pay day for him like this will come. Lawan was speechless at the Supreme Court today. His good works for Buhari fought for him. With God all things are possible. Any evil agenda towards Buhari God has been using Lawan to stop them.

You talk like a mentally challenged person.

Freestyl:
When Sunday Igboho’s house was attacked by the DSS, I saw a beautiful and well furnished mansion, full of exotic cars.

A quick peek in his garage includes a white Rolls Royce Ghost worth millions of Naira.

A Luxury Sedan worth over N120 million, a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon worth over N30 million as well as a N20m Lexus GX460 SUV, a Mercedes-Benz C Class, a Mercedes-Benz GLE and a Range Rover SUV worth over N15m, N30m and N35 million respectively.

…and I was like: what does he do for a living?

God forsaken question

thebosstrevor1:


Yet was bounded like a common criminal and put in a dungeon in Nigeria

What an enigma

Your Buhari was locked up like a common thief for 3 solid years in a dungeon in Nigeria and nothing happened!

HitlerGaddafi:
Fulani girl grooving to Bella Shmurda cashapp at a party. Forget this girl Sabi.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD3AhIH2fC4

in Pakistan or Sambisa, they'd behead her...

Someone in the corridors of power just phoned in to tell me that H. E.
Buhari has lauded the unwarranted attack on the former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate.

What an evil person?

Buhari bu anu ofia nwuru anwu.

Ekwensu kpokwaa ya oku.

Pvssy:


Go charge your phone at a barbing saloon!

Battery low!

Hope you have data?

Janjaaaweed

Pvssy:
Hope the DSS are up to the task to safe guide him to India and return him back to face trials.

God bless the DSS


God bless His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR)

You just registered to praise Buhari, an accursed soul.

What a shame!

post=81173209:
May all the evil and corrupt politicians sponsoring some bastards to perpetrate violence all over our darling nation , just to make our nation unruly, never know peace all the rest of their miserable lives.
Along with all those supporting them.
May every good things in life be far from them and their household.
Painful death awaits them all.
They can never escape it.
So shall it be.

Nigeria will win this war.

Why are you cussing Buhari?

Photos of sinless, faultless, infallible god almighty in his Daura village.

I cant say much.

This evil man's days are numbered.

In all honesty, let's take it Jonathan wasn't holy (which is totally not true compared to this animal in power), was Obasanjo ever glorified to this insane level?

This man is a fundamentalist illiterate who thrives on religious stupidity and ignorance.

Who really is this Buhari?

This harbinger of ill-luck and bloodshed.

Too too bad!

I say no more.

franchasng:
Feminists destroyed this beautiful world, they killed chivalry and turned men to selfish people who no longer care about protecting the female gender naturally created to be physically not as strong, all in their bid to form equality with men.

Tell me how many women that can do this for their husband talk more of a girlfriend

Take it or leave it, feminists are confused, frustrated, unattractive women who have been so unlucky with finding great men, so they turn to feminists to fight and hate on men

Chimamanda nwetekwa gi!

sweetsell:
The hated filled Jews will claim this choice isn’t based on integrity since she isn’t from potoland.

Do not portray silliness all the time.

Logobenz2:
Woman insult your family in your presence you no jam am till she collapse
Bros you dey fall hand o
Please no one should advise this kind of weak man.spits!
Who wouldn't know what to do at this point?some people dey born sha
Just look at someone's son.e be like na pap den use raise you.
Your mom comes to your own house and your wife not only mistreated her but tried to insult her in your presence?you know why?she knows you are a weak man.
That was your golden opportunity to teach her a bitter lesson that will be justified anywhere in Nigeria.
I wonder what she will do to you if you take her to the US.
Better cancel all plans of that visa,withdraw the application,divorce that woman whether the child is yours or Not,do not care!just be sending upkeep money for the child and get yourself another woman.
Jesus Christ!

I don't know how to hail you fur this candid advice.

You'rea great guy!

Morenikeji070:
Lol I always smile sometime at South East people. I will tell you the facts south south don't really trust south east side they have less love for East but east have more love for them lol. Why eastern like forcing themselves on South south parts lol coz because of oil. For your info. I schooled at Maritime Academy of Nigeria. Oron akwa ibom state. So I know southern so well. When I was onboard ship. Have spend more time in south south. Have been to portharcout & calabar & akwa ibom & delta I know south south people so well. Even if nigeria gonna divide south east should just forget south south coz they are not ready to fight for eastern and they are not ready to join east. They wanna have there own country. Not that I dislike east but I'm just telling you guys the truth....

Ibu nno ozu nwuru anwu.

Anu ovia!

Nwa Ohodo.

Chukwu emeee!

Jakumo:
Good riddance to an ugly virgin hunter who will rot in hell and get no virgins there in hell, or anywhere else.

That scumbag was probably poisoned by the CIA or bombed to kingdom-come by a drone.

Regardless of how that towel-head was neutralized, it is a very good deal that he is dead as a door-nail and buried like a pesky rat.

How do you guys learn to comment in this manner?

Nwamaikpe is on my mind.

Good one there from you.

Bolustical:


Was GEJ, your hero, giving it to Yaradua then as e dey hot?

He was even worse, Turai and the cabal made him a newspaper reading VP.

Osinbajo, an errand boy who signed budget, fired DSS and SGF.

GEJ was only sipping Burukutu, nothing more.

Extremely silly talk

TIGRITIS:
[s][/s]
Call him all the names you like, that is the same position Peter obi desperatey sought but to no avail.
I doubt if you are qualified to lace the shoes of this "errand boy"

Silly talk

Abiboss:


You are such a senseless goat who has been surreptitiously brain washed by your slave master Mazi Nnamdi kanu

Very silly talk