THE DANGER OF SOME PROMINENT IGBO POLITICIANS’ ATTACK ON PETER OBI AND THE FUTURE OF IGBO PRESIDENTIAL OPPORTUNITY

By: Dr Orih Emmanuel Njoba JP

Ndi Igbo Kwenu!

Since the return of democracy in 1999, 26 years ago, Ndigbo have voted, supported, sacrificed, and waited for their turn to no avail. We have supported South-West, South-South, and the North to produce President. We have not produced President or even Vice President that entered Aso Rock.

In 2023, God gave us something we never had before: a son, Peter Obi, who became nationally accepted, from North to South, Christians and Muslims, youths and elders.

The question today is: Shall we kill him with our own mouths, because of our individual political ambition s?

OUR JOURNEY SINCE 1999
In 1999 — We supported Obasanjo with all our votes, hoping he would hand over to Ekwueme, but he did not.
In 2003 & 2007 — Our own Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu ran under APGA. But our governors were in PDP and worked against him, we also failed.

In 2011 & 2015 — We gave 97% to Jonathan, our South-South brother, with no concrete promise for Igbo presidency after him.
During the 2019 — Peter Obi came as Vice Presidential candidate to Alhaji Atiku Abubarka. That was the closest we came to Aso Rock since 1999

Coming to 2023 — Peter Obi contested as President against all odds and got 6.1 million votes, won in 11 States and FCT. For the first time, Nigerians outside Igboland said “We trust an Igbo man.”

My brothers, from 1999 till today, no other strategy has brought us this close. Some Igbo political hopes will always argue that it’s not the turn of the Igbo to produce Nigeria’s president, and I ask, “When will it be our turn to produce the number one citizen of Nigeria?

THE DANGER OF ATTACKING PETER OBI NOW
Peter Obi happens to be the only Igbo presidential candidate that has drawn the support of other regions outside Southeast and beyond Christianity, but some of our leaders — governors and ministers — are now openly attacking Peter Obi. They say he cannot be President, that Igbo presidency is not now, that we should support another zone and wait for our turn. All these sayings and attacks on Peter Obi is not for really for the interest of Ndi-Igbo but for their selfish angrandisements.

The way some Igbos in the corridors of power in support of APC are attacking Peter Obi is dangerous for these five (5) reasons:

1. We are giving our enemies weapon against ourselves
   In Nigerian politics, your word is used against you. When a South-East Governor says “Obi is not competent” or “Igbos are not ready,” the North and West will record it and play it tomorrow to deny us. How can you beg for Igbo presidency in 2031 after you told the world that an Igbo is not qualified in 2027?
2. We confirm the lies that “Igbos are not really united.”
   Since 1999, the main excuse used against us is “Igbos don’t love themselves.” When we attack our own most popular son in public, we prove that lie to be true. No tribe has ever produced President while publicly fighting their best candidate.
3. We are losing our youth and diaspora.
   The Obi’s movement in 2023 was not funded by governors. It was funded by traders in Onitsha, students, diaspora in America, priests and pastors. If we attack Obi, we are telling those youths that their hope is foolish. They will not vote tomorrow.
4. We have no alternative plan.
   If not Obi in 2027, who? Which Igbo man has today the national structure that Obi has? If we wait for 2031, what guarantee do we have that those we are supporting today will hand over to us? We have waited since 1999. Waiting without a candidate is not strategy — it is surrender.
5. History will judge us.
   Our children will ask: “When Nigeria was ready to trust an Igbo man, what did our leaders do?” Shall we be recorded as those who sold their presidential chance for ministerial appointment and 2027 political favour?

I am not saying that every Igbo must support Peter Obi, no. In democracy, everyone has choice. But I am saying that:

Someone can disagree with ideas, but not to destroy the man and a great chance to register Igbo political values. If you don’t like his one-term agreement with Kwankwaso, say so. But don’t say Igbo must not contest.

As our elder Chekwas Okorie said, “Peter Obi signed for himself, not for Ndigbo.” A personal agreement does not stop any other Igbo from contesting in 2031.

Let Ohaneze Ndigbo call our political office holders to order. Let us speak with one voice: Igbo presidency is not a favour — it is our right as equal partners in Nigeria. Let us not trade our future for a plate of porridge.

Ndi Igbo, the Yorubas have proverb: “You do not use your own hand to spoil your own house.”

Peter Obi may not be perfect. But he is today the only Igbo door that Nigeria has opened. If we close that door ourselves, who will open another one for us? The political chances of Ndigbo since 1999 have been weakened not by the Yorubas or Hausas, but by our divisions inside. Where is Okadigbo today?
Where is Rocha’s Okorocha, what is the fate of Hope Uzodimma in the national politics today? These me were attacking their fellow kinsmen thinking that they would gain anything from the Igbo enemies, but today, their hopes had been dashed to zero.

Let us stop attacking our own, and start negotiating together. If you attacking Peter Obi today, some else may attack you tomorrow, because the law of karma is real.

Igbo Kwenu! Igbo Kwenu! Igbo Kwezuenu! #tvauthority #TheTribes #IjawPeople