It is like the battle for Senate Presidency is hitting up. Proposals are showing up.
The tradition in the Senate is that the Senate President should be, at the least, on his second term. Furthermore, the position in APC is zoned to SE or SS. So today only two Senators are qualified viz.
𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗱𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗸𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗼 (Akwa Ibom)
𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝘇𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝘂 𝗢𝗿𝗷𝗶𝗵 (Abia)
Arguments are now flowing for and against both candidates. The most vexing to me is the one by Asiyah Aisha Alubankudi. She says
“𝙄’𝙢 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙. 𝙏𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙩𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙊𝙧𝙟𝙞 𝙐𝙯𝙤𝙧 𝙆𝙖𝙡𝙪 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩.”
To me, this and many others are the reasons the Igbo feel justified in the way they are causing so much tribal disaffection all over as if they have been aggrieved. If anything it is the Igbo that has trod on the corns of virtually all tribes in Nigeria – Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Edo, Deltans etc. Yet they cry the most about being marginalized and some uninformed persons help to further project the lie. For example, what can the Yoruba be said to have done against the Igbo that they must now go on their knees to placate them?
Legs go back the memory lane:
**After the 1959 General Election in which Awolowo’s AG came second in popular votes after Azikiwe’s NCNC. Awo, the Yoruba Leader approached Zik the Igbo Leader asking for a coalition of both parties to form the Central government since none of the contestants could go alone. Awo offered Zik the Prime Ministership while he would be a mare Minister under him. Zik in the alternative went to negotiate the coalition with Ahmadu Bello’s NPC and offered North the Prime Ministership while accepting to be a tutelar Governor General. So despite having the second highest popular vote after NCNC, AG was thrown into opposition. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**From 1960 to 1963, the Coalition government of NCNC and NPC moved and succeeded in destroying Awolowo’s AG. It was split right through the Centre. Akintola’s NNDP faction formed the Nigeria National Alliance NNA with NPC while the AG remnant was taken over by NCNC to form United People Grand Alliance UPGA. They did not stop at that, they jailed Awolowo for a whopping 10 years. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**In 1966, young Igbo military officers organised a coup during which they killed the topmost Yoruba military and political leaders after pre-warning Zik to escape from the nation. They did not touch any of the two Igbo Premiers. They then installed one of their own, Aguyi-Ironsi as the new Head of State. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**In 1967, Ojukwu seceded. The problem was attributed to the propaganda of North genocide against the Igbo. On the 2nd of June 1967, when the first shot flew out, it was at Obola Afor – A boundary town between the East and North. The war ragged in the Northern boundary. But on 9th August, the Igbo tried to overrun and colonize Yoruba land. They succeeded in colonising Midwest but they were stopped dead on their track to Yorubaland at Ore. 42 days after, on 20th September, they had been pushed back into their enclave. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**In 1974, Zik publicly announced his retirement from politics. He had just turned 70. When the Military decided to quit scene four, national parties were formed. NPN, PRP, NPP and UPN. The only Party with a Southern base was Awolowo’s UPN. Azikiwe saw that with that arrangement, Awo was cruising to an easy win more so as his Running Mate, Barr Phillip Umeadi was an Igbo. Zik will not allow this. He threw off his retirement garb and jumped into NPP. With his massive influence, he took over the party from the owner, Ibrahim Waziri who had no alternative but to register a new Party GNPP. Now with two Southern Parties Awo’s, chances were drastically reduced. He lost. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**In 1993. MKO, a Yoruba, ran the presidential election. With an easy cruise to victory against a very weak Ibrahim Toffa, Author Nzeribe, along with junior partners like this same Peter Obi, formed the Association for Better Nigeria ABN, approached the Court in the dead of Night to stop the further announcement of results thereby paving the way for the annulment of a Yoruba President. That apart, the poll result showed that MKO won in every region except in the current Igbo land. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**In 2013 BAT with his ACN rightly calculated that the only way to remove the cantankerous PDP from power was for Yoruba ACN to merge with the Igbo APGA, Hausa ANPP and Fulani CPC. Great national combination of equals. The North groups agreed but this same Peter Obi refused the Igbo APGA to join. No problem, it was their choice. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**In 2015 the five SE States gave APC 198,000 This was a mere 1.6% of the APC winning vote. This result was guaranteed by a campaign of calumny against the Yoruba by this same Peter Obi who made an issue of the return to their respective states, destitute found under bridges in Lagos. Peter Obi told his usually gullible People that Yoruba deported Igbo. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**In 2019, despite all that PMB did for the Igbo – International Airport, 2nd Niger Bridge, Roads, Yuan Currency etc, the five SE states gave PMB 403,000 votes or 2.7% of his total winning votes. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**In 2020, under the pretence of stopping Police brutality, Igbo-led EndSARS Hooligans descended on Lagos.
>>The President is not in Lagos. He is in Abuja
>>The NASS is not in Lagos. They are in Abuja
>>IGP is not in Lagos, He is in Abuja
>>SARS HQ is not in Lagos. It is in Abuja
Why attack Lagos and not Abuja? They went after their Oba. What had an Oba got to do with SARS? They destroyed the properties of Yoruba people in Lagos especially BATs but did not touch Igbo. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**Since 2020 the Igbo have now been claiming that Lagos, is No-Mans-Land, a euphemism that it is for them the Igbo because they claim that they were responsible for most of the development therein. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**2023, the whole of SE states in which APC controls 2 of 5 states gave BAT 127,000 votes or 1.5% of his votes. Needless saying that even APC Party when colluded in rigging the election for their countryman Peter Obi .𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**In Kalu’s Abia Abia State, in his Senatorial district which is a third of the state, Kalu scored 31,000 whereas BAT scored a mare 8900 votes in the entire state. This may be averaged at scoring 3,000 from Kalus Senatorial District. So Kanu could not even convince his private supporters to vote for BAT. Even from the picture he showed of his vote, he voted across the line and his vote must have been voided. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗼?
**On the other hand, In Akpabio’s Akwa Ibom, BAT scored 160,000 votes. Now tell me what on earth can be the argument that Akpabio whose people contributed 160,000 to make BAT president should lose that position to Kalu whose people contributed 9,000. So national reconciliation is all about placating Igbo? That is sheer nonsense.
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲
**Of the 14 Senate Presidents we’ve had, 8 have been Igbo. Was that position created for them? We have 300 tribes in Nigeria. “𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 ” have had it once – Joseph Wayas, who was even from Cross Rivers not Akwa-Ibom. No way, the Igbo can’t have it yet again
**In 1953, The Head of Government in the Eastern House of Assembly was a “𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻” Professor Eyo Ita. At that time Nnamdi Azikiwe was battling to take over the Headship of Western Regional House (Not be now dem start). He lost. Because of that loss, Zik returned to the East. The Igbo promptly removed Professor Eyo Ita and replaced him with Azikiwe. So the act of 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗯𝘂’𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗯𝗮 in Ibadan, caused Professor Eyo Ita “𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻” to lose out
**In 1979, Sir Darnley Alexander was the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Darnley was first employed in Nigeria by Awolowo when he was Premier of the Western Region. He was therefore close to Awolowo. Obasanjo who disliked Awolowo was the Military Head of State. He knew that the General Election of that year may get to Supreme Court and for adjudication. He would not have Awos friend as the CJN. He made Darnley, just 60 to retire. But next in rank to Danley was Justice Udo Udoma. He was very close to Awolowo in the days of Awos AG when together they fought for the creation of COR (Calabar-Ogoja-Rivers) State out of the old Eastern Region. Obasanjo will not have him preside over Awos’s case. Obasanjo, therefore, posted him away from the Supreme Court. So because of Awo from 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗯𝘂 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗯𝗮 tribe the “𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻” missed the opportunity of producing a CJN in 1979.
**In 2018 Onnoghen was the CJN of Nigeria. Well for political reasons, the “𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻” was removed as CJN for corruption by the government of “𝗧𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗯𝘂𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆”
**Must 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻” always lose out for acts related to the Yoruba? Not this time.
**Do you know that Peter Obi an Igbo is out there in Court insisting that the BAT presidency be annulled as he did in 1983 to MKO!. Do you have to feed who is destroying your farm
**𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗴𝗯𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗴𝗼𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗴𝗯𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗳.
I ask again What did anybody do to Igbo that you now must bribe them? It’s their responsibility They are to take a genuine step to reconcile with other tribes.
