Who Should Ndigbo Follow In 2015
WHO SHOULD NDIGBO FOLLOW IN 2015
The former Governor of Abia State and Houdinian politician, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu reportedly said that Ndigbo will not support President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.
Orji’s assertion is coming on the heels of the endorsement of President Jonathan for reelection in the same 2015 by no less a personality than Mr. Peter Obi, the hard working governor of Anambra State. An endorsement he purportedly made on behalf of Ndigbo when the president paid an official visit to Anambra State recently to commission landmark projects in the state and to welcome the state into the highly lucrative club of oil producing states.Obi, incidentally was not alone in endorsing the Bayelsa State born president for a second term, even business mogul Chief Arthur Eze added his voice in support of Jonathan for a second term of office, during the aforementioned visit to Anambra State.
In the case of Orji’s position which was actually the main reason for this piece, it is instructive that the former governor and founder of Progressive Peoples Alliance(PPA) did not say who Ndigbo should support or insist that the race must produce the president in 2015.
In my previous intervention on the issue of Igbo presidency in 2015 titled:”Why Ndigbo Will Not Produce The President In 2015”, which can be read elsewhere including my blog:www.pauluwadima.blogspot.com, I argued that I was yet to be convinced that Ndigbo want to produce the president in three years time.
It would have made much sense and arose the consciousness of those campaigning for the Igbo presidency if Orji had indicated that he or some other people are making arrangement to challenge Jonathan for the top job.
And there are reasons the Igbos who sincerely believe that an Igbo would be president in 2015 should be worried.
First, while the Igbos are talking the talks, the other contenders are walking the talk. A good example is the ongoing renovation of the campaign office of former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, which is seen by pundits as the clearest indication that Atiku would be gunning for the Aso Rock Villa in 2015. In any case even before the renovation of his office, Atiku’s media team has been very active to some extent even after the former Customs officer lost the PDP primaries to President Jonathan in 2011. I don’t know of any Igbo presidential hopeful who can boast of the same preparedness ahead of the 2015 elections.
Secondly, the governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lambo already has the endorsement of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida with the governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi similarly endorsed as his running mate. And I gathered from reliable sources that Lambo is already putting machineries in place to challenge Jonathan for the PDP ticket and if that fail he could become the rallying point for the north in another party.
The Northern Governors Forum has also told whoever cares to listen that the region will produce the next president in 2015. And I ask, how many times has the South East Governors declared any opposition to Jonathan ahead of 2015? What I heard is that most of them are scheming how to displace senators from their senatorial districts, so that they can go to the National Assembly after the end of their tenure, where they will continue their profligacy at the expense of their people, who are presently dreaming of Igbo presidency that seems unlikely in 2015.
Notice also how the former Head of State and the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC),in the 2011 election, General Muhammadu Buhari has been crisscrossing the North opening new offices for his party and even campaigning for local government elections in the North on behalf of the candidates of the party. Buhari is ready for 2015 and is working hard to actualize his dream of presiding over this country. He is building bridges and even forming a political alliance with the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, all in the effort to have a successful outing in 2015.
With glaring lack of preparation, how can Ndigbo win the 2015 ‘trophy’? What I foresee is a situation where a few months before the next general election some ‘smart’ Igbo sons and daughters will emerge from the blues proclaiming they want to be president and defraud unsuspecting sponsors at home and abroad; Or at worst do tradeoff with serious candidates from the North. Igbos must guard against this kind of scenario. So, those who want to be president must start the campaign early, if they want to be taken serious.
The question to ask is: if Ndigbo will not support Jonathan, who should they support? Should they support Lamido or Buhari or Atiku or Jonathan? Which of these potential candidates will serve better the Igbo interest, whatever it is? If however it is only a president of Igbo extraction that can solve the development challenges of the zone, then let those who think they can do the job start working for it. Power is never given. Power is taken and only the daring can grab it. My position however is that only presidency anchored on good governance can uplift the life of the average Igbo man and indeed all Nigerians. Nigerians should support the candidate that can guarantee good governance in the country irrespective of his tribe or religion because the future of the country can be guaranteed under such leadership.
The former Governor of Abia State and Houdinian politician, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu reportedly said that Ndigbo will not support President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.
Orji’s assertion is coming on the heels of the endorsement of President Jonathan for reelection in the same 2015 by no less a personality than Mr. Peter Obi, the hard working governor of Anambra State. An endorsement he purportedly made on behalf of Ndigbo when the president paid an official visit to Anambra State recently to commission landmark projects in the state and to welcome the state into the highly lucrative club of oil producing states.Obi, incidentally was not alone in endorsing the Bayelsa State born president for a second term, even business mogul Chief Arthur Eze added his voice in support of Jonathan for a second term of office, during the aforementioned visit to Anambra State.
In the case of Orji’s position which was actually the main reason for this piece, it is instructive that the former governor and founder of Progressive Peoples Alliance(PPA) did not say who Ndigbo should support or insist that the race must produce the president in 2015.
In my previous intervention on the issue of Igbo presidency in 2015 titled:”Why Ndigbo Will Not Produce The President In 2015”, which can be read elsewhere including my blog:www.pauluwadima.blogspot.com, I argued that I was yet to be convinced that Ndigbo want to produce the president in three years time.
It would have made much sense and arose the consciousness of those campaigning for the Igbo presidency if Orji had indicated that he or some other people are making arrangement to challenge Jonathan for the top job.
And there are reasons the Igbos who sincerely believe that an Igbo would be president in 2015 should be worried.
First, while the Igbos are talking the talks, the other contenders are walking the talk. A good example is the ongoing renovation of the campaign office of former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, which is seen by pundits as the clearest indication that Atiku would be gunning for the Aso Rock Villa in 2015. In any case even before the renovation of his office, Atiku’s media team has been very active to some extent even after the former Customs officer lost the PDP primaries to President Jonathan in 2011. I don’t know of any Igbo presidential hopeful who can boast of the same preparedness ahead of the 2015 elections.
Secondly, the governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lambo already has the endorsement of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida with the governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi similarly endorsed as his running mate. And I gathered from reliable sources that Lambo is already putting machineries in place to challenge Jonathan for the PDP ticket and if that fail he could become the rallying point for the north in another party.
The Northern Governors Forum has also told whoever cares to listen that the region will produce the next president in 2015. And I ask, how many times has the South East Governors declared any opposition to Jonathan ahead of 2015? What I heard is that most of them are scheming how to displace senators from their senatorial districts, so that they can go to the National Assembly after the end of their tenure, where they will continue their profligacy at the expense of their people, who are presently dreaming of Igbo presidency that seems unlikely in 2015.
Notice also how the former Head of State and the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC),in the 2011 election, General Muhammadu Buhari has been crisscrossing the North opening new offices for his party and even campaigning for local government elections in the North on behalf of the candidates of the party. Buhari is ready for 2015 and is working hard to actualize his dream of presiding over this country. He is building bridges and even forming a political alliance with the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, all in the effort to have a successful outing in 2015.
With glaring lack of preparation, how can Ndigbo win the 2015 ‘trophy’? What I foresee is a situation where a few months before the next general election some ‘smart’ Igbo sons and daughters will emerge from the blues proclaiming they want to be president and defraud unsuspecting sponsors at home and abroad; Or at worst do tradeoff with serious candidates from the North. Igbos must guard against this kind of scenario. So, those who want to be president must start the campaign early, if they want to be taken serious.
The question to ask is: if Ndigbo will not support Jonathan, who should they support? Should they support Lamido or Buhari or Atiku or Jonathan? Which of these potential candidates will serve better the Igbo interest, whatever it is? If however it is only a president of Igbo extraction that can solve the development challenges of the zone, then let those who think they can do the job start working for it. Power is never given. Power is taken and only the daring can grab it. My position however is that only presidency anchored on good governance can uplift the life of the average Igbo man and indeed all Nigerians. Nigerians should support the candidate that can guarantee good governance in the country irrespective of his tribe or religion because the future of the country can be guaranteed under such leadership.
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