— Time to usher in genuine handshake across the Niger

Nwajiuba         

 
BY PASCHAL EGERUE—President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR deserves special commendation for insisting that for equity and peace in Nigeria, power after his eight year tenure should shift to the South. The APC Governors in the North deserve  accolade for their joint statement in support of the President’s position. In furtherance of this, the President has urged all APC Presidential aspirants to consult, build consensus and come up with a formidable candidate. It is good to thank in a special way the Presidential candidates that will withdraw from the race to ensure that APC Presidential ticket goes to the South. As it is now, the ball is now in the court of Southern Nigeria to play. How this ball is played will determine quite a lot especially  future peace and political collaboration  in Southern Nigeria. It is my hope that Southern Nigerian politicians will rise up to this occasion gallantly and do the right thing in establishing and perpetuating  equity, peace and cohesion.
In Southern Nigeria are three regional blocs – South West, South South and South East.  Within the  democratic dispensation that took off after prolonged military rule, South West has held the position of Executive President for 8 years and also Vice President for 8 years (by may 2023), South South held same Presidency for 6 years after holding on to the position of Vice President for 2 years. In all these, the nearest the South East got  was Ekwueme’s  four years Vice Presidency under President Shehu Shagari. So, clearly here, if we are talking about equity, the Presidential ticket of APC is in all senses zoned to the South East. Any discussion therefore about consensus candidate should be between the candidates from South East with the cooperation and support of their brother contestants from South West. For some candidates of South West, especially the indefatigable Jagaban of Borgu, the irrepressible Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who probably feels heavily emotionally invested in becoming the President of this country at this time, their disappointment in the turn of things is well appreciated. Unfortunately, their aspiration,as  legitimate as it is, is sadly against the run of play. A time comes when a man should wear a fitting robe as a statesman and waive his ambition in the interest of peace and national cohesion. I honestly would not want Jagaban to present himself for this Election in order not to dent his visage as a statesman, a king maker and a national leader of the party. Putting himself up for this election and failing will not be good at all for his large national and regional image.
The Yorubas and the Igbos have come a long way. Despite mischievous tendencies of detractors to create distrust among the two enterprising nations, Igbo and Yoruba share so much linguistic and social affinity. Ideological differences notwithstanding, Zik and Awo remained personal friends till the end of their lives. Ironsi and Fajuyi were inseparable and died together. Igbos fought without running away to exile for the revalidation of Abiola’s June 12 mandate. The Igbo heros in this struggle were Ebitu Ukiwe, Ndubuisi Kanu, Ralph Obioha, Olisa Agbakoba, Mrs Chris Anyanwu to mention but few. Despite the fact that Dr Alex Ekwueme was a front runner to become the President in 1999 having co-founded PDP through his famous G34,  the igbos quietly allowed the Presidency to shift  to South West as a way to assauge the Yoruba nation of their grief over the unfortunate death of  Alh MKO Abiola.
God has presented a similar situation now and our South West brothers must not fail the igbos. The igbos are hurting, feeling marginalized and rejected. They are demanding to be reintegrated into  Nigeria after the unfortunate civil war.  The Igbo youths have become restive and their agitation is assuming dangerous dimension by the day. An Igbo man elected President of Nigeria at this point in time is the most appropriate thing to do to douse the tension in the land. Fortunately, ndi Igbo are parading a galaxy of world  class candidates.  Hon (Dr) Emeka Nwajiuba is easily  the most qualified of all the pre-qualified candidates. He is young, agile, brilliant and has appropriate education and hands on experience to lead Nigeria to greatness at this time. Dr Nwajiuba is very formidable candidate, widely accepted across all strata of Nigeria. He in all parameters is the bridge through which an enduring unity and security of this nation will be accomplished. For all practical purposes therefore, the time for real and genuine handshake accross the Niger between the Yorubas and the Igbos is now. Pa Ayo Adebanjo has continued to emphasize this fact.  In his foreword to the 2018 brilliant book by Prof Akinyemi Onigbinde and Ambassador Humphrey Orjiakor aptly titled – Handshake across the Niger, the popular Yoruba leader and renowed scholar in African history Prof Adebanji Akintoye was profoundly prophetic on this matter. He said ” God’s time has come in the lives and relationship of the Igbo and Yoruba nations of Nigeria. And when God’s almighty hand is stretched forth, nothing can bend it back”. In his poetic best, the Professor concluded – “Dry and Stony is the desert. But God sends the magic hour – when the thorniest shrub and cactus blossom radiant into flower: when all the past we leave behind, and the world grows young again”
Paschal Egerue is a Lagos based Insurance and Management Consultant.