Everyone knows I am not interested in partisan politics. Those who don’t know yet should note that I’ll be sixty next month, have been in the trenches fighting for justice and equity for more than three decades, if I were interested in partisan politics, when then do I join a party? When I turn seventy, eighty or ninety?
That settled, I have nothing against those jostling and hustling the partisan landscape. I wish them luck and hope they get it right.
I made up my mind decades ago to humbly and genuinely contribute to creating awareness amongst the younger generation towards the pursuit of a better society for all. I have always wished partisan politicians and their followers well.
Haven said that, I wish to politely address politicos from the South East and their followers, that the mood, tempo, direction of their online activities, could do with a little bit of more knowledge, better communication skills and deeper camaraderie across board.
It doesn’t hurt to do things well, for wisdom is profitable to direct.
It is always important to respect the other person’s point of view, choices and preferences. When I marched twenty years ago for power shift to my region, the idea was to enthrone equity and fairness into the polity, thereby strengthening the bond of unity.
Nothing wrong with power shift to the South East. It’s right and proper.
But there seems to play out, a deliberate scheme to outwit the South East and manouevre the whole thing towards a bitter and mutually destructive struggle between the South West, South South and South East. By deliberatly creating bad blood and acrimony.
And suprisingly our people are unwittingly playing along with the devious plot by viciously attacking folks with different ideas. Sad.
A needless war within the three zones in the South, that could eventually deny the entire South the opportunity to lead Nigeria come 2023.
This deliberate ploy to cleverly turn the South against herself, is way on, boiling and spreading bad blood within the South. Pity.
Those who should know and worry about this, sadly look the other way.
Let me shock them.
The South will never taste the presidency while fiercely disunited and sabotaging each other. NEVER.
Primaries are less than five weeks away, and resentment, rancour, animosity, acrimony, insults and bitterness dominate the template amongst the three Southern regions.
Even though I deliberately stay away from partisan politics, I feel constrained to point out to our politicos and their followers, that the ongoing attacks and insults in the social media, is not only needless and unhelpful, but that it has the capacity to backfire and cost us the support of other zones we are unintelligently threatening and abusing day in day out.
Secondly, the North has not given up 2023 to the South. The South rather, must play their cards right, by understanding the import of unity and synergy.
Abusing, attacking, insulting and threatening other Southern regions, will not give us the presidency.
Declaration of war against neighbours or folks with opposing political views, will only earn us enemies who will dig in and take position against us, fiercely opposing us as well.
Persuasion and respect for the rights and opinions of others should be the way to go. Respect for other people’s choices and preferences will make them listen to and sympathise with your cause and maybe yield to your polite persuasion.
Everybody knows my position. I have no interest in who becomes the next Governor of Enugu, Ebonyi or Abia for that matter. I don’t care about who becomes the next Vice President or President. I don’t know those angling or jostling to represent me in the upper or lower chamber, or even in the local legislature. I have never shown interest.
If my sibling is voted in as President tomorrow, I’ll criticise him if he goes wrong and I’ll continue to scream the truth: THAT NIGERIA WILL NEVER NEVER MAKE ANY PROGRESS UNDER THIS UNHELPFUL UNITARY 1999 CONSTITUTION.
Those jostling for positions and accommodation within this unitary structure, have the right to struggle and hustle for political power. I do not abuse or attack them.
I merely point out the truth: that it is not true that anybody can turn Nigeria into a first world nation under this unitary structure. Without reverting to true federalism and devolution of powers, Naija will only be going round in circles and going down as well.
I have been saying this since 1996. I have no apologies.
Biafran head of state, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu and former Vice-president Dr Alex Ekwueme, Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, are some of the over 86 prominent leaders who agree with the need to restructure Nigeria and have graciously graced some of my 106 IYM conventions and conferences in the past 25 years, restating this self-evident truth.
The need to reconstruct the country clearly overrides any other consideration whatsoever.
MY HUMBLE ADVICE.
Those virulently attacking other regions and descending viciously on politicians from the South West or South South, are getting it wrong.
Note this:
When strong northern politician and former Kano Governor, a rabid sectional leader, better remembered for his shocking attack on and insistence that Festus Odimegwu be removed from supervising any national census over the later’s indiscretion (over certain comments), and also as a determined Presidential hopeful, threw his hat in the ring, we should have read in-between the lines.
It’s disappointing that we cannot see where he was going. He even took over a new political party. He has run for the presidency before and therefore has solid structure all over the country. He knows too well and may even be in league with powerful forces who are against power shift to the South.
Why can’t we see that the current senseless disunity within the ranks of Southern hopefuls only gives him ammunition? He is already hoping and banking on rallying together anti-power shift elements in the North.
When you insult Wike, Osinbajo, Amechi, Tinubu, etc., you are only packaging prospective allies for him. You are only hurting yourself by fighting other Southern candidates with their supporters.
WHY DON’T YOU POLITELY MARKET YOUR CANDIDATE WITHOUT INSULTING OTHERS.
WHY DON’T YOU FIND A WAY TO SELL YOUR PREFFERED CANDIDATE WITHOUT OFFENDING OTHERS.
ISN’T IT POSSIBLE TO EXPAND OUR REACH BY MAKING MORE FRIENDS RATHER THAN MAKING MORE ENEMIES, ISOLATING THE SOUTH EAST IN THE PROCESS?
When you threaten Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi for supporting Wike, you are only isolating yourself and offending everyone else. You are also saying that our South East is hopelessly divided. You aren’t helping our cause.
Dear brothers, threatening, attacking and bringing down each other will not fetch the South the presidency. It can only lead to rancour and acrimony that may eventually lead to the North retaining power. Think and restrategize.
I am greatly disappointed with the candidates themselves and their ill-advised handlers, who, apparently intoxicated by the praise singing in the social media, pretend they do not know that the animosity and bad blood stoked today, could work against them tomorrow.
Those who have ears, let them hear.
Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko
Founder: Igbo Youth Movement IYM
Secretary: Eastern Consultative Assembly ECA
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