AS The 2019 general elections is coming close, we have seen lots of
alignments and the re alignment of forces going on in the country. I
even hear that some elements are planning a mega party. As all these
are going on I call on the leaders of the South East in particular to
first listen to the cry and the grievances of their people in the
Nigerian Nation. There is militancy in the Niger Delta and the threat
of Secession in the South East. This is probably borne out of feelings
of marginalization or neglect in the Nigerian project. I believe the
first solution to addressing these problem is for the South East to
have their own political party, where all Igbos will belong. This will
help address the problems of the people and reduce the cry of
marginalization. Many people in the South East are still in PDP
fighting for the party. The question is what has the people benefitted
for the support they gave to the party in the last fifteen or sixteen
years. In 2003 former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he went to flag
off his re election campaign in the South East went to Onitsha to flag
off the construction of the second Niger Bridge and Julius Berger was
moved into sight. After the election which he won the project was
abandoned. Even Jonathan administration could not build the bridge
despite the huge support and vote he got from the South East.
Jonathan could not raise ordinary Fifteen billion naira [N15B] at the
time to start the construction of the second Niger Bridge but was
able to raise the same amount to pay for the damages done to ODI
after a sponsored court judgement, the entire Odi community is less
that 5000 people. Dr Alex Ekwueme was a founder father of the PDP
that ruled this country for over fifteen years, now erosion is about
to wash away his ancestral home in Oko in Orumba Local government area
of Anambra state. so what are you still doing in PDP. The solution or
the hope is not in APC either. In all of President Buharis’s public
life both as a military Head of state or Chairman of the PTF he has
not seen Nigeria beyond Kaduna and Katsina states. Every other
state in the country is Vassal state.
The biggest fear am having in APC is not even Buhari but El Rufai. El
Rufai was a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory [FCT] who
demolished peoples houses especially houses belonging to non indigenes
in Abuja. The houses were demolished without compensation. I remembers
in December 2006 El Rufai told people travelling for Christmas to take
away all their belongings as their houses would be demolished before
they came back. And he did it. Today he is the governor of Kaduna
state and we read Christians of Southern Kaduna are been slaughtered
on a daily basis, so far no arrest. I have no problem with Nasir el
Rufai being a tribalist or a Religious bigot. He is entitled to it.
But ordinarily such a person should not occupy any public office
beyond Local government Chairman or a Traditional ruler or even a
Religious leader so he can continue to protect and fight for his
people using their resources. My problem is that the way Nigeria is
structured Nasir el Rufai may one day become the President of
Nigeria using the resources of the country to protect and fight for
his own tribe and Religion. In Nigeria great leaders that will see
all Nigeria as his constituency hardly ever emerge as President of the
country. That is Nigeria’s biggest problem.
I propose that ahead of 2019 the political leaders of the South East
and South should form their own political party present an acceptable
candidate from the area to vie for the Presidency of the country. To
me the area will get more respect, it does not matter whether such a
candidate wins or lose, a statement would have been made. It is shame
and a disgrace for the PDP to have zoned the 2019 Presidency to the
North. They will continue to suffer electoral defeat and shame unless
they change that decision now. I therefore propose that the people beg
DR MRS NGOZI OKOJO IWEALA to contest the Presidential election in
2019 as the candidate of the South East and South South . This is
where the world is going now and we cannot be left out.
VINCENT EGUNYANGA A PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANALYST LIVES IN NIGERIA.
