By Willie Amadi.
Many people have critiqued Obi Cubana and other young Igbo billionaires for supporting President Tinubu through the City Boys Movement as a sell out. I totally disagree with them because, when the obvious is clear, it is better to join the winning team and negotiate your turn than fighting as we did in 2023 Presidential election, and thinking that we can win the Presidential election alone now.
The loses by the Igbo in Lagos are still fresh and counting.
My reasons for disagreeing are based on history namely: first, the aftermath and shock of the 1967 cessation and declaration of war against Nigeria. As far as the rest of Nigeria, particularly the Hausa and Yoruba ethnic groups are concerned, that bold move by the Igbos led by our great son, Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu amounts to an offence with capital punishment or atleast, life imprisonment.
Secondly, the mere fact that the Igbo stretched the whole of Nigeria nation for a helllish three years of war with practically nothing but resilience and brain power remains a pointer for carefulness.
Thirdly, the unprecedented fast economic recovery despite the punishment of giving the Igbos only £20 pounds irrespective of the balance of money in their bank accounts after the civil war, and still prosperously rising economically and commercially to be where they are today in the same Nigeria, is both scary and very frightening for them to allow Igbos govern Nigeria without negotiation and reassurance.
It will, therefore, amount to a collective suicide for Nigeria to stay aloof and allow the Igbos assume the leadership of this country through their singular might, strength and or self help alone, looking at Peter Obi’s 2023 surprising attempt.
Finally, I believe that the Igbo can still return to Nigeria as part and parcel of the pre-1967 era again, if they strategically and wholeheartedly rise in unison like Cubana and the City Boys Movement, openly support Tinubu for a likely second tenure victory and also support him in his desire to activate the all important amendment of the 1999 constitution having strategically and politically acquired the legal and legislative majority components required to amend the constitution. The National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly through the Governor’s Forum and the tranquilization of the northern cabal, makes it very easy and possible to amend the constitution during his risk free second tenure in office without fear ir favor.
The amendment will yield to the equality of States amongst the federatiing units and balancing the heavily skewed local government councils between the North and South.
By establishing the federating units in the new constitution in line with the spirit and intentions of the constitution, creation of State Police and balancing the rest of the deliberate imbalances, the Igbos under a new Nigeria will have a level playing ground to negotiate the Presidency with either the Hausas or Yorubas and or both agreeing to allow the Ibos take a short at the Presidency for a lasting peace to reign in the new Nigeria.
The other easy way is the unconstitutional take-over of power by an Igbo in the military through a coup de’tat which will aggravate Nigeria’s problems other than the credible alternatives.
Igbo like Cubana and the City Boys Movement must learn to intentionally create and nurture a new and formidable political partnership that will help them first, accepted in Nigeria and make it possible to rise to the Presidency of Nigeria. They should perish the illusion that they can make it alone whether with Obi or not, but by a solid alliance first sought and obtained from the Housa or Yoruba nations acting in concert with them. My thoughts though.
Amadi, who holds a Ph.D in Law, is a Member of Imo State Council of Elders
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