Anytime some Yoruba defend the idea of contesting the 2023 presidential election alongside other southerners, they always point out that when Obasanjo contested in 1999, that Ekwueme contested too.

They argue that Igbo and other southerners have consistently contested against Yoruba candidates in the past, and therefore should not complain if Yoruba contest against other southerners in 2023. Normally such argument could be deemed fair, but not entirely honest. Here’s why.

In 1999, Nigeria was transitioning from a 16 years of Northern rule (albeit military rule), and power was naturally going to the south. The North understood that power should shift to the South, and (due to the Abiola issue that threatened the unity of the country) as things unfolded later, to the South West in particular.

Northerners who worked with Ekwueme in the G-34 that birthed the PDP switched their support to Obasanjo, a totally non-invested Yoruba man fresh from jail. In 1999, left to the Yoruba alone, there was no way a Yoruba could have emerged president, against the likes of Ekwueme and co. Though other southerners contested against OBJ, once the Northerners made their choice, those southerners didn’t really stand a chance, and most of them contested just for positioning themselves for political appointments in the new civilian administration to be formed by a Yoruba man.
And when the election came proper, there was no bitterness in the East or anywhere whatsoever, rather there was understanding and broad support for the process. The East acquiesced in the interest of the unity of the country. Two Yoruba sons contested against each other, and the rest is history. There were no threats of secession or something along that line anywhere in Nigeria.

The 2023 presidential election is totally different because, of the past 24 years of democratic rule in Nigeria, the Yoruba have been “in power” for president and vice president for a collective whopping 16 years!

That is the issue.

In 2023, the Yoruba would not be contesting as a powerless region in the South as was the case in 1999. The 16 years of being in power empowered the Yoruba politically more than any other group in the South. Heck Nigeria’s sitting Vice President is a Yoruba man! How’s that for fair play?
It would be immoral to pretend that all southerners stand on the same playing field today as was the case in 1999. The only group that can really stand on the same level as the Yoruba today in terms of political power in Nigeria, is the Fulani.

If that be the case, why then should a Yoruba agitate for power to be conceded to “the South”, when Yoruba are part of that Southern region and angling to participate in the same contest?

The North has been essentially Fulanized (as in Fulani have used up much of the political power ceded to the North over the years); why should the rest of the South allow a Yorubanized South?

The Fulani may argue that as a right of conquest, they should wield political power on behalf of the North, but Yoruba never conquered anybody in the South. Why should other southerners allow Yoruba to essentially corner the political power zoned to the South? For what reason?

The second and more important point is that Nigeria sits on a very thin ice if the North fails to do for the East in 2023 what it did for the West in 1999.

I tend to argue that Easterners should really focus on getting the North to do just that, rather than wasting time trying to convince Yoruba not to contest. In any case, there is no law in Nigeria that bars any Nigerian from contesting in the presidential election owing to region or section of origin in Nigeria. Every Nigerian is free to contest, and that is good. It is clear to all now that Nigeria’s political power resides in the North.

Without the North, the Yoruba would never have become president, and without the North the East would also never be president. That is why the North should be told in plain language that if it fails to support the East this time, that Nigeria’s continued existing will be on the table. Southerners should stop wasting time antagonizing one another over a presidency that can only be “dashed” to them.

Since the North is Nigeria’s kingmaker region, the burden of Nigeria’s unity and continued existence rests on its shoulders.

Okay.

So igbos can igbonize the south? hehehehehe political inconsequential 5ter

Igbo man will always be emotional and immature. OP wrote a lot that descended into gibberish and childish threats at the end.

Beg the North all you want. They are the last group interested in supporting an Igbo Presidency let alone be ready to bully others to make it reality.

The OP is a Fulani and only writes whatever will only benefit his Fulani people in the long run. His real intent is very clear in the write up which is preserve Nigeria for the fulanis to lord over. His subtle jabs notwithstanding some truth are in his message. Time for the educated fools in the South who depends on being handed or rather 'dashed' the presidency to ask themselves some fundamental issues.

All what you wrote are jargons. Obansajo tricked everyone including the Northerner's and brought Good luck Ebele Jonathan to power, is that not fair enough. Now that the Igbo's see that the power is coming back to the Yoruba they are intensively pushing for Biafra. The north can never support an Igbo presidential ambition even Amaechi knows that.

I laugh at some of these southwesterns that somehow feel in their shallow mind they are consequential,

SwissMass:
So igbos can igbonize the south? hehehehehe political inconsequential 5ter

Some of you just can't read a simple English write up and comprehend it.
You missed the point bro.
How can Igbo igbonize the South when they have never produced a president or vice president in over 40 years?

Dsalvo:
Igbo man will always be emotional and immature. OP wrote a lot that descended into gibberish and childish threats at the end.

Beg the North all you want. They are the last group interested in supporting an Igbo Presidency let alone be ready to bully others to make it reality.

There is nothing emotional about my write up. It is pure unemotional and cold calculus.
The world is changing, and every country that wants to keep being one MUST ensure that major ethnic groups inside it are accommodated in the top political leadership of the country.
Some of you think that the internal political dynamics created by the 1960s will continue indefinitely whereby foreign powers support the same groups inside Nigeria. That is a mistake and everyone with brains inside Nigeria know it.
If Nigeria wants to keep being one, it has no choice than to placate the Igbo.
It is no threat, but cold hard fact.
If Nigeria fails to extend full rights of citizenship to the Igbo, soon a foreign power will smell blood.
Nigeria is a resource rich country and a significant part of those resources (gas for example) lie in Igboland.

Yujin:
The OP is a Fulani and only writes whatever will only benefit his Fulani people in the long run. His real intent is very clear in the write up which is preserve Nigeria for the fulanis to lord over. His subtle jabs notwithstanding some truth are in his message. Time for the educated fools in the South who depends on being handed or rather 'dashed' the presidency to ask themselves some fundamental issues.

If you have seen a flying elephant, then I am a Fulani.

Believe it or not my main motivation for writing this is to remind some of you about the reality of the country.
You can dream all you like, but nothing will change.

The goal of this write up is to remind the North that the responsibility of ensuring that Nigeria does not disintegrate lie squarely with the North.

If the North fails to play statesmanship role, all bets will be off post 2023.

I am both for and against Nigeria's continued existence. I would like a JUST and FAIR Nigeria to continue to exist, but I would support the disintegration of an UNJUST and UNFAIR Nigeria.

Many of you igbos claim to be educated but always turn out to be extremely foolish in reasoning. It matters little if such Igbo is a PhD holder.

Now let's deconstruct your Igbo claim to power, by n large of your lamentation end with a conclusion that a southerner can not become president except the north enforce that but that was exactly what MKO Abiola did.

He needed the vote of the north he courted them n got their support, the oligarchy in the northern thought the can run a blindfold on Yoruba with murdering MKO Abiola after he won a free n fair election even against their own. The Yoruba stood up to that with the unrest that followed.

Note to the entire Igbo tribe-

1. Yoruba fought singlehandedly for their right of June 12 mandate without the help of any Igbo.

2. Igbos in person of Aurther Nzeribe was used to truncate the legitimate mandate of MKO Abiola June 12 mandate n your fathers you n your unborn generation will till eternity continue to pay dearly for this till Jesus return. Every Yoruba with a functional brain should ensure this.

3. From the point above a pathetic n exceedingly foolish Igbo now believes he owns a right to demand that same Yoruba you did that to should support you to the presidency you help in denying them ?! If it is not madness Yoruba should be paying igbos with genocide.

4. This point as lil to do with you fools but the Obasanjo you claim you paid June 12 mandate to what was his contribution on a personal note or any other way to June 12 or it struggle.

5. This is aside the hatred dead brain Igbos exhibited on true Yoruba leaders from Awo MKO n now Tinubu. How many thread have you seen any Yoruba open on Azikwe Ekwueme Ojukwu with their glaring failures.

6. Bro, your father's brain need to be checked probably cos you de mental. This rubbish wey you write I no just get time to respond as I de busy this morning. Make I no insult you cos of NL ban but e sure say u de mad for the effrontery to put up this writeup. You are really mad I swear to God.

7. The north can try gifting igbos power but you will have to earn it the way MKO earned it and you must be denied the way MKO was denied before you can be placated over your loss make you feel as e de be.

onumadu:

Exclusive101:
Many of you igbos claim to be educated but always turn out to be extremely foolish in reasoning. It matters little if such Igbo is a PhD holder.

Now let's deconstruct your Igbo claim to power, by n large of your lamentation end with a conclusion that a southerner can not become president except the north enforce that but that was exactly what MKO Abiola did.

He needed the vote of the north he courted them n got their support, the oligarchy in the northern thought the can run a blindfold on Yoruba with murdering MKO Abiola after he won a free n fair election even against their own. The Yoruba stood up to that with the unrest that followed.

Note to the entire Igbo tribe-

1. Yoruba fought singlehandedly for their right of June 12 mandate without the help of any Igbo.

2. Igbos in person of Aurther Nzeribe was used to truncate the legitimate mandate of MKO Abiola June 12 mandate n your fathers you n your unborn generation will till eternity continue to pay dearly for this till Jesus return. Every Yoruba with a functional brain should ensure this.

3. From the point above a pathetic n exceedingly foolish Igbo now believes he owns a right to demand that same Yoruba you did that to should support you to the presidency you help in denying them ?! If it is not madness Yoruba should be paying igbos with genocide.

4. This point as lil to do with you fools but the Obasanjo you claim you paid June 12 mandate to what was his contribution on a personal note or any other way to June 12 or it struggle.

5. This is aside the hatred dead brain Igbos exhibited on true Yoruba leaders from Awo MKO n now Tinubu. How many thread have you seen any Yoruba open on Azikwe Ekwueme Ojukwu with their glaring failures.

6. Bro, y[b]our father's brain need to be checked [/b]probably cos you de mental. This rubbish wey you write I no just get time to respond as I de busy this morning. Make I no insult you cos of NL ban but e sure say u de mad for the effrontery to put up this writeup. You are really mad I swear to God.

7. The north can try gifting igbos power but you will have to earn it the way MKO earned it and you must be denied the way MKO was denied before you can be placated over your loss make you feel as e de be.

The funny thing is that the same "you people" will turn around to accuse Igbo of being "emotional"
See pure rant! All for what? For a position that only the North can give?
It is extremely foolish for a southerner to be engaging another southerner in your type of idiotic fisticuffs for a position that only the North can "dash" you.
You cited Abiola's case. but twisted it to draw the conclusion you wanted for yourself. It is your call, afterall some people still think that the earth is flat!
The message has gone out to those concerned in Nigeria and they understand what I'm saying.
This message is not for street urchins.

We edo also deserve to be Nigeria president. We are Nigerian just like you igbo I will never support this nonsense.

Op is neither here nor there.
Learn to say ur mind in fewer words. And if you have to say much, let it make sense!

All what one can deduce in all u've written is d usual whining of d average s/e'ner about 'Igbo plecidency'.
Nothing new!

Esama:
We edo also deserve to be Nigeria president. We Nigerian just like you igbo I will never support this nonsense.

Of course you also deserve to be president, but guess what, how many are you again? 5 million?
Try Igbos 50-60 million.
We are talking about a MAJOR ethnic group in Nigeria.
Nobody can ever take away that status from Igbo whether Nigeria continued to exist or not.
A day may come when all groups (no matter how small) would have produced the president, but for now, the country's future is at stake because a MAJOR ethnic group is being marginalized politically.
That is the point.

Thunder fire you there the population of Edo you called 5 million? Oh okay igbo 50to 60 million right ? With your population go and produce president.
Buhari only got 15 million votes and he announced
as elected president. Please go be president with your population stop disturbing our peace.

onumadu:


Of course you also deserve to be president, but guess what, how many are you again? 5 million?
Try Igbos 50-60 million.
We are talking about a MAJOR ethnic group in Nigeria.
Nobody can ever take away that status from Igbo whether Nigeria continued to exist or not.
A day may come when all groups (no matter how small) would have produced the president, but for now, the country's future is at stake because a MAJOR ethnic group is being marginalized politically.
That is the point.

Esama:
Thunder fire you there the population of Edo you called 5 million? Oh okay igbo 50to 60 million right ? With your population go and produce president.
Buhari only got 15 million votes and he announced
as elected president. Please go be president with your population stop disturbing our peace.

Okay how many Edo be? 6 million? LMAO.
Ain't gat time for you mehn.

onumadu:


There is nothing emotional about my write up. It is pure unemotional and cold calculus.
The world is changing, and every country that wants to keep being one MUST ensure that major ethnic groups inside it are accommodated in the top political leadership of the country.
Some of you think that the internal political dynamics created by the 1960s will continue indefinitely whereby foreign powers support the same groups inside Nigeria. That is a mistake and everyone with brains inside Nigeria know it.
If Nigeria wants to keep being one, it has no choice than to placate the Igbo.
It is no threat, but cold hard fact.
If Nigeria fails to extend full rights of citizenship to the Igbo, soon a foreign power will smell blood.
Nigeria is a resource rich country and a significant part of those resources (gas for example) lie in Igboland.

The question is; Why should we placate a group of people that we can subdue with brute force? If Igbo's so choose to pick up arms, hmmm! infact, that is what we Fulani's want, that will give us the chance to finish what we started in 1966-67.

onumadu:


There is nothing emotional about my write up. It is pure unemotional and cold calculus.
The world is changing, and every country that wants to keep being one MUST ensure that major ethnic groups inside it are accommodated in the top political leadership of the country.
Some of you think that the internal political dynamics created by the 1960s will continue indefinitely whereby foreign powers support the same groups inside Nigeria. That is a mistake and everyone with brains inside Nigeria know it.
If Nigeria wants to keep being one, it has no choice than to placate the Igbo.
It is no threat, but cold hard fact.
If Nigeria fails to extend full rights of citizenship to the Igbo, soon a foreign power will smell blood.
Nigeria is a resource rich country and a significant part of those resources (gas for example) lie in Igboland.

Placate Igbo for what? You're socio-economically the least valuable of the big four ethnic groups in Nigeria with negligible contribution to Nigeria as a Country.

You're already destroying your own land and it is now proven beyond doubt that your tactics hurt no one but Igbos. Stay-at-home is only causing hunger in the SE and zero socio-economic effect elsewhere in Nigeria.

Shebi Fulani pastoralists have left your SE. Has their Cattle business collapsed because of that?

The arrowhead of your struggle has been incarcerated and rendered impotent easily. If anything it is now crystal clear Igbos cannot secede through violence or dialogue which means you have now discredited yourselves, on all levels, and transformed into an ethnic group others see as a joke.

Bruv, you lot discombobulated and demystified yourselves. No one get una time today.

Dsalvo:
Igbo man will always be emotional and immature. OP wrote a lot that descended into gibberish and childish threats at the end.

Beg the North all you want. They are the last group interested in supporting an Igbo Presidency let alone be ready to bully others to make it reality.

its naturally in them simps

Gireiboy:

The question is; Why should we placate a group of people that we can subdue with brute force? If Igbo's so choose to pick up arms, hmmm! infact, that is what we Fulani's want, that will give us the chance to finish what we started in 1966-67.

LOL.
Apparently you missed the global geostrategic dimension to the internal political dynamics of Nigeria to which I alluded earlier.
Keep that international political dimension in mind because that is the only reason the Igbo lost in 1967-70 war.
Most of you assume that every Igbo is Simon Ekpa and his gang. LMAO.
Suffice to say that the intelligent, resourceful and QUALIFIED Igbo have not yet joined attempts to break up Nigeria.
Take that to the bank. Those Igbo are still waiting to be convinced that Nigeria is irredeemable.
2023 will play a CRITICAL role in the learning process for such Igbo still sitting on the fence.
You can keep massaging your deek but you will only use it for your cows as usual.

Dsalvo:
Igbo man will always be emotional and immature. OP wrote a lot that descended into gibberish and childish threats at the end.

Beg the North all you want. They are the last group interested in supporting an Igbo Presidency let alone be ready to bully others to make it reality.

And you are damn sure yoruba will be president abi?

Even after Awo helped the north to kill Easterners, did they reward him with presidency?

Dsalvo:


Placate Igbo for what? You're socio-economically the least valuable of the big four ethnic groups in Nigeria with negligible contribution to Nigeria as a Country.

You're already destroying your own land and it is now proven beyond doubt that your tactics hurt no one but Igbos. Stay-at-home is only causing hunger in the SE and zero socio-economic effect elsewhere in Nigeria.

Shebi Fulani pastoralists have left your SE. Has their Cattle business collapsed because of that?

The arrowhead of your struggle has been incarcerated and rendered impotent easily. If anything it is now crystal clear Igbos cannot secede through violence or dialogue which means you have now discredited yourselves, on all levels, and transformed into an ethnic group others see as a joke.

Bruv, you lot discombobulated and demystified yourselves. No one get una time today.

Firstly there are no FOUR major ethnic groups in Nigeria. There are THREE. Settled fact.

Secondly, every struggle passes through many stages. What you are seeing in South East today is a stage (or phase) of struggle.

It will morph and change and purify with time, and if Nigeria maintain the anti-Igbo thing, the struggle will be adopted by qualified Igbo.

As for Kanu, this struggle will dwarf him immediately other qualified Igbo join the party.

The point is, can Nigeria afford to play these games with her future in the emerging chaotic international power order?

Typical monkey nyamiri level trying to bring everyone to his idiotic level just to cover up his insecurities. Awo happened, June 12 happened but yorubas didn't cry about the ambition of some eastern piggies at that time, we pushed until we got a president and a VP without bringing violence to our region, but nyamiris subhumans who are constantly feel threatened by a possible Yoruba presidency continue to cry like stupid mad bvtches. Freakin children.

The op has really pointed out some major issues a true Igbo that is not carried by emotion will point out also.

Nice.

We awaits!!!
2023 is what I'm looking forward to.

onumadu:


Firstly there are no FOUR major ethnic groups in Nigeria. There are THREE. Settled fact.

Secondly, every struggle passes through many stages. What you are seeing in South East today is a stage (or phase) of struggle.

It will morph and change and purify with time, and if Nigeria maintain the anti-Igbo thing, the struggle will be adopted by qualified Igbo.

As for Kanu, this struggle will dwarf him immediately other qualified Igbo join the party.

The point is, can Nigeria afford to play these games with her future in the emerging chaotic international power order?

Whatever stage you are the end result would be you guys getting bombarded by the nigerian army.... because in reality you guys bring nothing to the table in terms of natural resources, economic power, agricultural power or even political power.....the only power you guys have is the tool of "blackmail" and noisemaking. Buhari articulated this when he called you guys inconsequential 5%er dot in a circle.

I don't have enough time to respond to this garbage but I would just advise you to read good book about military era and tell us the major beneficiary from the south.

The post annulment of 1993 was majorly sabotage using politicians from Igbo extraction.

Stop your propangada because Yoruba are enlighten enough to know the true history and not the lies you tell yourself in that region.

Look back at Obasanjo administration and tell us if Yoruba benefitted like the Igbos, your support for Obasanjo is basically political rather than regional, your supported PDP your party candidate and not the southern candidate.

Stop these craps because it won't change anything. Obasanjo, a Yoruba man singlehandedly ensure Jonathan became VP and Yoruba mounted pressure to ensure he became president in 2011. What happened after that, Igbo hijacked Jonathan government and they started throwing Jabs at Yoruba unprovoked. Records are here on Nairaland that suggest Igbo are not good at politics because of their bitterness and their hatred toward Yoruba still remain a mystery to many Yoruba sons and daughters.

Again, party primary is solely a party affair and not an ethnic thing. Yoruba would support any candidate from their party. That's why they supported Olu Falae against Obasanjo. Is that too difficult for you people to understand?

Stop the blackmail, stop the wailing and enough of all these hatred

onumadu:


There is nothing emotional about my write up. It is pure unemotional and cold calculus.
The world is changing, and every country that wants to keep being one MUST ensure that major ethnic groups inside it are accommodated in the top political leadership of the country.
Some of you think that the internal political dynamics created by the 1960s will continue indefinitely whereby foreign powers support the same groups inside Nigeria. That is a mistake and everyone with brains inside Nigeria know it.
If Nigeria wants to keep being one, it has no choice than to placate the Igbo.
It is no threat, but cold hard fact.
If Nigeria fails to extend full rights of citizenship to the Igbo, soon a foreign power will smell blood.
Nigeria is a resource rich country and a significant part of those resources (gas for example) lie in Igboland.

If you want to go that route you'll get the right response. Now tell me what is Igbo bargaining power in Nigeria context?

onumadu:


LOL.
Apparently you missed the global geostrategic dimension to the internal political dynamics of Nigeria to which I alluded earlier.
Keep that international political dimension in mind because that is the only reason the Igbo lost in 1967-70 war.
Most of you assume that every Igbo is Simon Ekpa and his gang. LMAO.
Suffice to say that the intelligent, resourceful and QUALIFIED Igbo have not yet joined attempts to break up Nigeria.
Take that to the bank. Those Igbo are still waiting to be convinced that Nigeria is irredeemable.
2023 will play a CRITICAL role in the learning process for such Igbo still sitting on the fence.
You can keep massaging your deek but you will only use it for your cows as usual.

You see! that is the difference between Fulani's and Igbo's, while we plan, strategies and excute action with boldness, you guys quiver and chestbeat online. Let me ask you question, how do you plan on seperating this country?

onumadu:


If you have seen a flying elephant, then I am a Fulani.

Believe it or not my main motivation for writing this is to remind some of you about the reality of the country.
You can dream all you like, but nothing will change.

The goal of this write up is to remind the North that the responsibility of ensuring that Nigeria does not disintegrate lie squarely with the North.

If the North fails to play statesmanship role, all bets will be off post 2023.

I am both for and against Nigeria's continued existence. I would like a JUST and FAIR Nigeria to continue to exist, but I would support the disintegration of an UNJUST and UNFAIR Nigeria.

The disintegration of Nigeria is desire by

Niger Delta followed by Yoruba. The Igbo are not really interested, they only and always push Biafra agenda the moment they lost power at the centre. That's selfishness

I am happy you agree that the presidency was NOT zoned to the SW in 1999.

In fact, Ekwueme challenged Obasanjo for the PDP ticket twice - 1998/1999 and 2003.

Nobody is stopping Igbos from contesting. If you play your politics well, you will get it.

But to tell everyone else to go and sit down and allow only Igbos run in all the parties will NEVER happen.

We Yorubas are not afraid of running against northerners. We'll rather run against a northerner and lose than settle for second fiddle (VP) like you Igbos are already doing under the guise of 'it's either the SE get the presidency or the north keep it'.

What a shame!

Ttalk:


If you want to go that route you'll get the right response. Now tell me what is Igbo bargaining power in Nigeria context?

The first Igbo bargaining chip in Nigeria is - we are the rope or twine that binds Nigeria.
Without Igbo, Nigeria will disintegrate into tiny pieces of countries. FACT.

Next bargaining chip? 202 trillion cubic feet of gas in Imo state. No need to say more about that.
There are countless chips which I won't mention here for strategic reasons.

Like I said earlier, only a foolish southerner would be fighting other southerners for a position that the North essentially gives.
No need for love or hate here. No emotions. Pure facts.