CORNUCOPIA: The Living Ezeigbo Gburugburu by Odogwu Emeka Odogwu

EZEIGBO: Professor M.N Umenweke of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka has been threatened. He said one Chris Uba threatened to kill him for declaring Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah a clear winner in penultimate week’s Anambra South Senatorial election.  But Umenweke’s wife in a bold move unexpected of women of today confronted Chris, and he denied the allegation saying he told her husband that he would kill himself for losing the election. Really! Chris who was reportedly seen crying like a baby over the election loss said he would kill himself or Umenweke for what? What do you make out this? Does it worth it? A story for another day!

READ ALSO: Government stops Peter Obi from holding meeting in Agulu

At the inception of his administration, Governor Obiano assured Ndi Anambra that he will be guided by the 4Cs principle, that is, Continue with projects began by his predecessor Peter Obi, Complete and Commission them, and also commence his own projects. Has Obiano been able to do this?

This Saturday 9th March, 2019 Governorship elections and House of Assemblies would be conducted across the Federation but in Anambra only the House of Assembly would be conducted and the APGA appointed officers are using commentaries to change the narratives after a woeful outing in the National Assembly elections. They want to secure the State House of Assembly elections and they felt recognizing Peter Obi would be fair to them against their ‘’destroy Peter Obi campaign mounted by Obiano’s media team particularly his Chief Press Secretary, James Eze from Enugu State.

I listened to one Political Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano, Sir Ifeatu Obi Okoye talking gibberish on why APGA lost Senatorial elections in the state. He justified why Obi’s PDP made inroads and won in all the South-East, South-South and even some South-West states. I equally read a commentary by one reappointed Managing Director of ABS, Nze Uche Nworah praising Peter Obi to high heavens on the solidarity he got from Southern states and was appealing to APGA to give such to Obiano during Saturday’s elections to enable Obiano get 30 House members from APGA. Before the election Ifeanyi Ubah , Senator Uche Ekwunife and others were like lepers as the state media ABS refused to touch their news materials even with money to pay. I even had to call the MD yet nothing happened because they were in opposition even against NBC rules but immediately they were declared winner, ABS continuously sang their news as music. Anyway it is a story for another day.

These are just two of the whole lot of people from APGA changing the narrative of hauling abuses on Peter Obi or justifying abuses on him for moving on in life after he was pushed out of APGA. There was nothing that was not said against Obi and his joining PDP to the full knowledge of Governor Willie Obiano who endorsed them all even came out and appealed to Ndi Anambra to support President Mohammadu Buhari against an Anambra son, who mobilized to ensure he became a Governor no matter what it’s worth. Anambra people revolted and taught him a bitter lesson. There is too much deceit in Anambra’s governance. Revenue collection from hawkers banned in the markets is still there in full force to mention but a few. Yet, a story for another day!

Ubah and his friend Chief Sir Victor Umeh, of course my friend too literally held me incommunicado for Obiano’s sake against my wish but at payback time, Ubah got the shock of his life. I told him but he never believed me. Thank God he fought like a wounded lion to show the stuff he is made of and it worked out for him. Now, Prof Chukwuma Soludo’s tsunami of disappointment is nigh. A story again for another day!

Today is about Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi , former Governor of Anambra state who against mounting opposition for his candidacy as the VP for PDP candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by Governor Dave Umahi and Deputy Senate President , Prof Ike Ekweremadu among others emerged the most successful and loved politician in Igbo land since 1999. Nobody has gained such wide acceptance by Ndigbo. Atiku and Obi won on the ballot papers but INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, a University Professor and APC political party denied them victory while announcing results reportedly.

Why were personalities visiting Atiku and Obi begging them not to go to Court? Is going to court to seek redress for a political injustice a crime in Nigeria, even with suspension of the rightful Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen by the APC led Buhari administration over reportedly nothing or so I understood.

Why was APC’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole bragging, yet, his tongue slip betrayed the massive rigging? It may be surprising but reality that Governors in the South East didn’t work much to mobilize people to vote and protect their votes sequel to one pecuniary interest or the other as people came out on their own to vote.  Think about a situation, they worked for Atiku/Obi’s emergence, Nigeria would have bowed for the unity of purpose of Ndigbo despite being viewed as republicans. Against all the threats and intimidation, Ndigbo voted Atiku and Obi, though APC and INEC collaborated in disenfranchising them either through violence , burning of electoral materials or failed Card Reader as well as missing names.

Peter, this goodwill shown to you by Ndigbo should not be wasted as during Governorship of Anambra state? You were loved by people but you rather wasted the love on people who were nowhere close to your sufferings but those who had names or had godfathers but real time people dying for you daily were not recognized because their parents probably are nobody. That’s why Anambra was set back under Obiano despite the propaganda machinery set in motion for attack against any perceived opposition. Had you shown love and on time to your die hard supporters in your government, would Obiano’s government be fighting your ambition to bring good governance to Nigeria as you did in Anambra state under you?

You had your day in history on Saturday 23rd February 2019 and it’s memorable. If you are a Yoruba man and won this election landslide like what we witnessed, streets would have become impassable due to protests but Ndigbo have no time for protest most times unless goaded. But who shall goad them into action when the opposition is looking for who to brand with ‘treasonable felony’’? Please leverage on this goodwill, sustain it no matter the odds for your record is now set for Igbo Presidency 2023 whether the 2019 stolen mandate is recovered or not. The political bigwigs in the North who are in PDP like Senate President Bukola Saraki disappointed me and many others for not protecting the Northern votes like Obi and his colleagues in the Southern Nigeria did to their votes despite the harassment , intimidation , ballot box snatching , burning of INEC card readers and materials, violence and killings.

Ezeigbo Gburugburu ! Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu! That was Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s sobriquet until death few years ago. We now refer to him in the past but life must go on. Ojukwu was a Nigerian military officer and politician who served as the military governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1966. He led Biafrans to a civil war with Nigerians. But it’s all over and we are now a country despite that the slavery continues.

A new Ezeigbo Gbururgburu has to emerge. At a time, the late Eze Nri, Ezeobidiegwu Onyeso, traditional ruler of Agu-Ukwu Nri, installed the MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, as the new Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu. That conferment divided Ndigbo more than ever. He has no capacity to capture Ndigbo to follow him like Ojukwu did or Peter Obi did last weekend in  a presidential election. Uwazuruike is still confused so to speak as even the MASSOB he led is in tatters.

But today Ndigbo in Nigeria and world over have on their own crowned Peter Obi the new Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu. For standing in for the 2019 General election and winning the solidarity of almost everybody in Igbo land was amazing. He has proved a point politically. This is not about hegemonist titular but a collective decision of Ndigbo across the globe via their solidarity and support February 23rd, 2019.

Like him or hate him, I have admired Obi’s chutzpah in matters he had his heart and mind at. Is Peter Obi elitist, a leader and a ruler? Ndigbo on their own followed Peter Obi willingly as his personality signifies the dreams, hopes and aspirations of his people-The Igbo race. Peter is courageous, strong willed even at the deterrent of his emerging friends, a dreamer like the Biblical Joseph and a visionary.

Obi is a Nigerian businessman crowned  “Okwute Ndigbo’’ translated Rock of Ndigbo’ by all the traditional rulers in Anambra state led by His Majesty, Obi of Onitsha , Igwe Alfred Achebe unsolicited “.

Obi is a successful Businessman, a Management Consultant expert, and a politician who should have become the second Igbo man to become the Vice president Federal Republic of Nigeria as the presidential candidate in the 2019 Nigerian general election with Atiku Abubakar under the People’s Democratic Party.

57 years old Peter Obi, the new Ezeigbo gburugbru is married to Margaret Brownson Usen and the marriage is blessed with two children.

Thank you my brother, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, the 9th President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, for leading us, Ndigbo to speak with one voice in the last 40 years. It was amazing and unprecedented. Please have no regrets as we have no regrets despite the gloating of the bigot, ethnic profiling, hatred , jealousy and propaganda against us. The sell outs were at loss on how Ndigbo came together and how that was possible but it happened. What on earth informed the protest against the PDP and Alhaji Atiku’s intention to go to court to reclaim his mandate? What a shame to our leaders? I want to challenge what I perceived as an injustice in court and people are protesting asking me not to go to court. What a shame! Oshiomhole was blabbering for nothing because when the chips are down, he would be the first casualty for leading the party astray.

Mr. Oseloka H. Obaze (OHO), Chair Anambra PDP Campaign Council Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign and PDP Candidate for the 2017 Anambra Governorship Election agreed with me that Ndigbo spoke with one voice at the Presidential election.

Odogwu Emeka Odogwu is a known Journalist, Editor and famous Blogger, as well as Social Media Entrepreneur, publisher and Conversationalist @ www.odogwublog.com among others.

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