Igbos Are Right !!!! Must Read

Roland Akachukwu Emmanuel Wrote

"Igbos are not strategic in politics like other regions - they put

all their eggs in one basket.- What a fallacy ~ By Agunze

Azuka Onwuka

I have heard this statement so many times these past days

that it has become ridiculous.

The most annoying part of it is that even Igbos repeat it

without asking if it is true or not.

In the First Republic, the South-west all voted for Awo's party

Action Group. Those who supported Akintola were labelled

traitors and the "Operation Wetie" erupted which eventuallyled

to the 1966 coups and civil war.

In the Second Republic, Yorubas who voted for NPN were
labelled traitors. TOS Benson died as an outsider because he
did not support Awo's UPN. The same fate befell Adeniran
Ogunsanya because he supported Zik till his death. Abiola
was also seen as a sell-out because he was in NPN instead
of UPN, until June 12 1993 electionmade him a hero.
On the contrary, the Igbos were always vilified for not
speaking with one voice: for having some people support Zik '
s NPP and some support Ojukwu/Ekwueme in the NPN. They
were told to emulate the Yorubas who always spoke with one
voice (ie putting their eggs in one basket).
Now the Igbos have spoken with one voice, and the goalpost
has been shifted again, by making it sound as if it was a
crime. They are now accused of putting their eggs in one
basket. Na waah for this life oo!
People speak without asking themselves how the Igbos would
have won 2 house of representives seats in Lagos if they did
not speak with one voice in this election.
By speaking with one voice, Igbos proved that they are
trustworthy and reliable, even when many people sensed that
Jonathan would lose and started jumping ship.
By speaking with one voice, Igbos showed the South-south
that "agbata-obi onye bu nwanne ya" (a person's neighbour
is his brother).
The Igbos showed that contrary to all the decades oflies
about Igbos being their enemies who seek to dominate the
South-South because of oil, the Igbos are not as petty as
that. They also proved to the South-South that the Igbos are
not petty to seek revenge over whatever happened during the
Biafran War.
Igbos proved that they fight for the oppressed and the
underdog if the underdog is faced with two of Nigeria's Big
Three ethnic groups. It would have been a shame for the Big
Three to unite against the South-South.
There is nothing like putting one's eggs in one basket in
Nigeria's governance. It is constitutional that ministers MUST
be appointed from all the states of Nigeria. It is constitutional
that all federal appointments must reflect federal character.
By the way, there are top Igbo guys who stood by Buhari:
Rochas, Ogbonnaya Onu, Pat Utomi, Chris Ngige, Oby
Ezekwesili, Festus Odimegwu, etc. So it was not as if there
were no Igbos that stood by him.Meanwhile, appointments
don't make an area develop. Tinubu led the South-west to
reject the Speakership (No 4 person) zoned to the South-west
by Jonathan.
So let us reject this feeling of loss or attempts to make us feel
that we were unwise.
The Igbos acted based on the conditions on the ground.The
Yorubas also voted based on the conditions on the ground,
not because of any superior strategy in politics. There was no
Yoruba among the two candidates. Also ACN is a major
stakeholder in APC. And also because Buhari's running mate
is Yoruba, the majority of Yorubas felt that APC was the party
that would benefit the Yorubas better. The other group led by
Mimiko and Fayose and the Afenifere felt that Tinubu was
leading the Yorubas into an unholy alliance with Buhari and
that the Yoruba interest would be better protected by
Jonathan.
The same group also feels uncomfortable with the power
Tinubu wields over the region and the way he decides who
should hold what position in the politics of the South-west.
On their own part, the Igbos voted for the candidate that
appealed more to them.
The Igbos voted for justice by voting for a man from a place
that had not produced the president, even though their oil
feeds the nation.
The Igbos voted for a man who, for the first time since the end
of the Biafran War, treated them like first-class citizens of
Nigeria.
The Igbos voted for a man who showed them trust by
appointing one of their own the Chief of Army Staff since 1966
when Ironsi was killed.He capped it up by also appointing
another Igbo from Delta State (Ezeoba) the Chief of Naval Staff
at the same time. That was the apogee of trust shown the
Igbos in Nigeria since 1966.
The Igbos voted for a man who honoured their hero: IKEMBA .
If Ikemba had been buried during the regime of some people,
Ikemba's burial would have been an Igbo affair, because
many Nigerians still viewed him as a villain and a rebel. But
Jonathan moved away from that path and gave him a
national burial that made every Igbo tall.
The Igbos voted for a man who made it a reality that an
international airport would be in Igbo land.
It would have been a stab in the back if the Igbos had
scattered their votes between Jonathan and Buhari. It would
have been a betrayal if the Igbos had not stood by a man
who stood by them and gave them a sense of belonging in
Nigeria.The Igbos had no choice. The Igbos stand by those
who stand by them. When Adeniran Ogunsanya died, the
Igbos closed their markets to honour him for standing by Zik
through thick and thin till his death.The Igbos can never
forget the sacrifice of Col Adekunle Fajuyi who was killed for
trying to protect Aguiyi-Ironsi.The Igbos will never forget Carl
Gustaf von Rosen for risking his life to fly into Biafra and
assist them at that critical time.So let no Igbo accept that it
was a mistake to give full support to Jonathan. The Igbos
had no choice. One good turn, they say, deserves another.
The Igbos rallied round a man who gave them a sense of
belonging in Nigeria.Life is not all about winning elections..