Politics is transactional, only the deluded think otherwise. Ahead of the election, Gov. Soludo, Sen. Nnamani and many other prominent voices who knew our political terrain and knew that Obi and his party stood no chance in a national election warned about the consequences of Ndigbo alienating themselves from the mainstream. But sadly, the loud nattering by nit*wits drowned every voice of reason. The same nitwits are today celebrating their stewpidity like a coveted trophy
By Charles Kaye Okoye
For sometime now, some incorrigible el*ements from the usual region, who have been aptly called headless mob have been in wild jubilation over supposed ill treatment of their kith and kin as the ruling party zones the leadership of the National Assembly.
These same elements are the ones that started the campaign of calumny against the South Eastern NASS members, ostensibly to ‘pay them back” for daring to support their party and party’s candidate.
They were the first to circulate lists of inauguration concert members, and celebrated that only few Igbo names made it to the list. What a victory! SMH
And then, yesterday, following the viral press release by South East/Igbo APC Progressives Roundtable (SIAPRO), these children accompanied their wild jubilation with cannon firing and banger shooting. Such kids!
In the next few days, the president elect will be inaugurated, and APC will remain in power for at least the next 4 years. Without preempting the courts, both candidate and APC will still triumph at the judiciary considering that the petitions before the tribunal are watery and without substance. It is therefore gladdening that those Igbos who are not so politically naive to have wasted their votes or laboured in vain, many of who have constituted themselves into SIAPRO, will continue to demand the rights of Ndigbo both in appointments and in infrastructural development. One wonders what would have been our fate if some of us hadn’t sown in a fertile ground.
Politics is transactional, only the deluded think otherwise. Ahead of the election, Gov. Soludo, Sen. Nnamani and many other prominent voices who knew our political terrain and knew that Obi and his party stood no chance in a national election warned about the consequences of Ndigbo alienating themselves from the mainstream. But sadly, the loud nattering by nit*wits drowned every voice of reason. The same nitwits are today celebrating their stewpidity like a coveted trophy.
If the NASS leadership zoning remains unchanged today, and we have Hon. Benjamin Kalu as the deputy speaker of House of Reps, it is because he is in APC, and because some people, despite intimidations by their people, shunned emotions and sentiments and dared to vote for him and the party, notwithstanding the call to vote Labour from “top to bottom”. We will continue to demand more. Something that would not have been impossible if all of us were part of the headless mob that chose to grope in the dark.
SIAPRO constitutes of eminent Igbo intelligentsia who believe in the Nigerian cause, who know the stuff they are made of, liaise with other Nigerians, who are confident that they can negotiate, and if need be, demand for Igbos’ share in a corporate Nigeria.
Members of SIAPRO did not vote for the president elect in the last election to be rewarded with appointments. After all, how many people can be given appointments! They voted because they believed in the vision and capacity of their preferred candidate, and his ability to use the structure and machinery of their party to continue to build a strong and virile nation, as well as continue to provide the needed infrastructures that has become a major hallmark of the party since coming to power. Appointments are secondary, and SIAPRO will not shy away from demanding not to be left out. And nothing stops SIAPRO from getting the ears of the president elect as well as key officers of the ruling party. We are capable.
For the mockers, would they rather we saw other tribes in Nigeria, particularly the Yoruba today as our enemies? Or rather run with their narrative that the whole world hates us, and we should hate in return? Why the mockery and the gloating instead of taking a little introspection with a view to learning from one’s mistakes and wrong judgements?
Peter Obi is our son, and we cannot fault anyone Igbo man who elected to vote for him. Like other candidates, he also posseses some great attributes, many of which will can endear him to our people, as well as to people of other tribes. But the ill here is in not accepting that some other Igbos are rightly entitled to their own choice of candidates, or that as some members of other tribes voted for Obi, some Igbos equally have the right to vote for candidates of other tribes without being looked upon as people that have committed mortal sin.
SIAPRO has come to stay, and will continue to impart and impact Alaigbo.
For the mockers, while we continue to build, go ahead to scatter. Mock and gloat…if only we could see how you are better off, and how we ourselves would have been better off today if we had joined you!
Ukpana na-ere oku si na ya na-agba abuba
Charles Kaye Okoye
National Publicity Secretary (SIAPRO)
