Igbo Corner
Controversy trails Tinubu/Igbo 2023 Presidency; Nigerians react
Nigerians are still reacting to the controversy behind the declaration of the self-styled national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
While many thing that Tinubu has all the chances to win the 2023 presidential election, other think he should concentrate on his failing health and give chance to Other aspirants more suitable for steering the nation forward.
Below are a few from concerned Nigerians:
Anonymous said:
“Can Tinubu win 2023 Presidency?
Can Bola Tinubu win the Presidency? Yes
Can Bola Tinubu win with a Northern Christian VP candidate? Yes
Can Bola Tinubu win with a Northern Muslim VP candidate? Yes
Why?
He will outspend everyone.
It’s Bola Tinubu that elected Buhari, funded the campaign.
If you don’t like Bola Tinubu, present your candidate and fund him
“I don’t want any noise this time around.”
Mebele Okugbo replied:
“It’s not Bola Tinubu that elected Buhari. This is a myth that has been sold in the media, but it is not true at all! If Bola Tinubu could elect anyone, he would have done it in 2011 with Atiku.
Buhari was elected because the NewPDP block broke out of PDP in 2014 and effectively rendered the party defeated. If the newPDP block had not broke (sic) away, along with the North vowing to return to power by all means necessary, a thousand Bola Tinubus would never have been able to elect Buhari.
The internal betrayal of GEJ was so bad that even Muazu, his own chairman, was working against him and this was down to one thing; the North wanted to return to power.
Bola Tinubu was a sectional leader in 2013/2014, whose only influence was in the SW. He had no national spread or appeal. He couldn’t have elected a president in Nigeria. Not even with a thousand bullion vans. OBJ, Abdusalam, Atiku, Saraki, and all the other major players, who broke away from PDP in 2014, practically killed it at the time.
That was why this same group, took over the legislative arm in 2015 and Tinubu was left in the cold. Tinubu’s ability to elect a president on his own is one of those myths that many have bought that is quite laughable.
The only reason the North doesn’t bother to debunk this false narrative is because they are smart enough to realize that the alternative narrative is that they betrayed GEJ and they don’t want that narrative out there in the open.
They prefer to have the Tinubu narrative and allow him bask in his self-delusion. Nobody really sends Tinubu outside of Lagos. If the APC presents Tinubu and the PDP presents a northern candidate, the PDP will win easily. The North don’t vote for party. They vote for their interest.
Tinubu is grossly overrated by the media hype. The last time Tinubu put this his self-delusional hype to test, he sent a recorded video message to Edo State indigenes to support Ize Iyamu for the governorship election. What was the result of that move? It cost Ize Iyamu the election in which he lost woefully.
It was so bad that it created a winning slogan for Obaseki, “Edo no be Lagos!”. Tinubu’s influence on Nigeria’s election is a myth. Even Tinubu’s influence on Lagos elections is also a myth. If it were not a myth, he wouldn’t require the use of thugs during Lagos elections.
In the last presidential elections, thugs had to go around disrupting elections in perceived PDP strongholds. A man who has Lagos support like he claims won’t require that to win elections. Most elections in Lagos are won by slim margins. Buhari won GEJ in Lagos in 2015 by a slim margin, even after all the manipulations and thuggery.
“Also, nobody has the means or ability to bribe the whole of Nigeria to win a presidential election. That is another myth. Nigeria presidential elections are not determined by money but by religious, tribal and sectional sentiments.”
Churchill Umoren wrote:
“Everyday I hear “Igbo presidency” and some SE folks blame everyone for the zone’s inability to produce one. If you say 2019 let’s zone presidency to SE despite all the 5star brains they have, the zone will never agree on anyone I swear, hehehehehehe.
Okorocha v Ekweremadu v Arthue Eze v Kalu v Ohaneze v IPOB, etc. fight go start (sic).
Emulate how the north play the game, they don’t have blocs all they want is “our son” gets it.
“Unite first biko hehehehehehe.”
Agunze Azuka Onwuka replied:
“Chairman Churchill Umoren,
This is a false narrative that has been peddled over the years to stereotype the Igbos and make them believe that they never agree on anything.
No ethnic group or zone agrees on any political issue in Nigeria. There has never been any time any part of Nigeria agreed to allow only one of them to contest for the presidency.
Let me not list the intra ethnic crises of the First Republic or the intra-zonal coups and killings that dot our history.
In 1983, six politicians contested the presidential election: Three from the North, two from the Southwest, one from the Southeast.
North – (Aminu Kano of PRP, Waziri Ibrahim of GNPP, and Shehu Shagari of the NPN).
Southwest – (Obafemi Awolowo from the UPN and Tunji Braithwaite from the NAP).
Southeast – (Nnamdi Azikiwe from the NPP).
Aminu Kano controlled Kano, Ibrahim controlled Borno. Both of them contested against their fellow Northerner Shagari both in 1979 and 1983 despite the risk of splitting the Northern vote and making Shagari lose. None of them stepped down for Shagari on both occasions.
Imagine if that was done by three Igbo politicians!
In 1999, Bola Ige and Olu Falae contested the AD ticket from the Southwest. None of them stepped down for the other. When Falae was chosen, it saddened Ige so much that it led to a division in both the AD and Afenifere.
Ogbonnaya Onu of the APP (ANPP) stepped down for Falae, but neither Falae nor Obasanjo (both from the Southwest stepped down for each other in the presidential election). Obasanjo was declared the winner of the election. Falae did not accept the result. He went to court. Yet nobody used this against the Southwest as lacking in unity.
Imagine if Ige, Falae and Obasanjo were Igbos!
Meanwhile in the PDP primaries, Obasanjo defeated Ekwueme. Because Jim Nwobodo contested in the primaries and got a few votes that could not have made any difference if added to Ekwueme’s votes, it has been used as a story to vilify the Igbos as lacking in unity.
Meanwhile, while Ige was not happy that Falae was chosen as AD candidate over him, and while Falae was angry that Obasanjo was declared the winner, Ekwueme who was not Obasanjo’s kinsman congratulated Obasanjo after the PDP primaries and went with him to campaign in the Southeast, raising Obasanjo’s hand in different campaign grounds in the Southeast.
In 2007, Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar, and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua all contested the presidential election. None of these 3 Northerners stepped down for the other. When Yar’Adua was declared the winner, the others went to court.
In 2011, Nuhu Ribadu, Ibrahim Shekarau and Muhammadu Buhari contested against Goodluck Jonathan in spite of the risk that their votes might be split and give Jonathan an advantage. Three of them lost to Jonathan. Maybe the result would have been different if they joined forces.
Imagine if these three were Igbo politicians!
In 2014/2015, some of the fiercest opponents of Jonathan were from the Southsouth led by Rotimi Amaechi.
Today the strongest opposition of Buhari is from the North: Buba Galadima, Junaid Mohammed, Atiku Abubakar, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal, Makarfi, Dankwambo.
Imagine if these were Igbos opposing the presidency of their kinsman!
Some people would have used it to wax an award-winning song. All comedians would have used it on every show. Every post on Facebook or Twitter and article in the newspapers would have referred to “Igbos being their worst enemies.”
Some gubernatorial elections had been held in recent time. In Bayelsa State, about 20 people were killed because of a contest between kinsmen. In Edo, the opposition went to court after the result was announced. In Ekiti, the opposition went to court too.
But in Anambra, not only was there was no report of violence, all the top contestants congratulated Obiano and vowed not to contest the result in court despite their misgivings about the conduct of the election. Yet, the narrative is that “Igbos don’t speak with one voice”, “Igbos hate themselves” (the correct expression should actually be “Igbos don’t love one another.”)
But interestingly when the Igbos speak with the so-called one voice by voting for one candidate, the music changes to: “Igbos put their eggs in one basket;” “Igbos are clannish.”
The bottom line is that something must always be said to maintain the narrative that there is something wrong with the Igbos. If it is not that the Igbos are disunited, it is that they are politically unwise, or don’t go to school, or can’t survive in their land, or love money more than Lucifer, etc.
Some Igbos have even ignorantly bought this narrative. But only Igbos who don’t understand the reason behind this narrative believe it or join in spreading it.
Let me repeat: Based on the facts available, no ethnic group or zone speaks with the so-called one voice in Nigeria. In every society, there are individuals who disagree with others. There is never a time everybody agrees on a thing. That is how life is. Let people stop this singling out of the Igbos for all these narratives that are not backed by any statistics.”
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There’s something about persecution that does two things to a people: it either breaks them, or it makes them beasts of survival.
For centuries the Jews… they were hunted, hated, and humiliated by empires. But they didn’t vanish.
They evolved. They adapted. And today, the Jews are arguably the most powerful tribe in the world economically, intellectually, and politically. Ruthless when necessary.
They are unapologetic about their survival. Now, look at the Igbo. A tribe known for industry, resilience, and brilliance.
A people who just want to live, do business, and thrive. But Nigeria doesn’t want that. Nigeria wants control.
Nigeria wants submission. And the one thing the Igbo have never known how to do is bow. And that’s the real issue.
So what does Nigeria do? It sidelines them. Isolates them. Provokes them. Bombs their villages under the guise of security.
Locks up their agitators. Shuts down their businesses. Mocks their pain. Ignores their history. Prevent them from voting. Play politics with their education. Sponsored bigotry on them.
And then Nigeria pretends to be surprised that there’s growing radicalization in the East?
Let me be clear: The Igbo didn’t start this fire. Nigeria did.
And history, the very same history we keep refusing to learn from, has shown us that when you keep pushing a tribe that knows how to survive, they evolve into something stronger, something unstoppable.
It’s happened before. With the Jews. Europe tried to exterminate them. Instead, they became the backbone of global finance, media, tech, and diplomacy.
You don’t touch a Jew today without consequences. You don’t push them to the wall and expect them to stay quiet.
Now Nigeria is doing the same to the Igbo, pushing, prodding, provoking.
But here’s the warning: when you push an animal to the wall, it doesn’t stay calm. It fights back. It bites. And this time, when it bites, don’t act shocked.
But this isn’t just about the Igbo solely. Nigeria has perfected the art of creating monsters, then acting surprised when they bite.
The Niger Delta? Radicalized. The region was exploited for oil, polluted beyond repair, and ignored until their youths picked up arms.
The Fulani terrorists? Radicalized. Left behind by the same government that claimed to represent them, now manipulated by religion and resentment.
The Almajiri? Radicalized. Abandoned by an elite that used their poverty as a vote bank and then left them to rot.
The Agbero? Radicalized. Uneducated, weaponized, and unleashed as tools of political chaos.
Even the middle class is slowly being radicalized, not with guns, but with hopelessness. That, too, is a ticking time bomb.
A nation cannot continue to marginalize its most brilliant tribe and expect peace.
The Igbo are not docile. They are not quiet. They are not forgetful. They are survivors, and survivors don’t beg for space forever. At some point, they take it.
The Igbo didn’t set out to be radicals. They were made into one by a country that won’t stop seeing their confidence as a threat.
You can’t keep pretending unity means silence. You can’t keep preaching peace while planting injustice.
The Igbo are not asking for too much, they just want to live, build, and grow.
But if you insist on turning their dignity into defiance, their enterprise into enmity, and their survival into sedition, then you are creating a monster.
And if history has taught us anything, it’s this: when a persecuted people decide that survival is no longer enough, when they decide to stop running and start resisting, they don’t just fight back. They win.
Nigeria must understand this: you cannot keep pushing people into a corner and expect submission.
When you back a lion into a wall, don’t expect it to purr. It will roar. It will claw. It will tear through anything standing between it and freedom.
So here’s the final warning, for those who still care to listen: Nigeria is radicalizing the Igbo.
But worse, Nigeria is radicalizing everyone. And it won’t end well.
When the fire spreads, when the rebellion multiplies, when the beast we created begins to fight back, don’t act shocked; no tribe will be left untouched.
Don’t pretend it wasn’t preventable. We all made it happen. You don’t corner a lion and expect peace.
Abolaji Rasaq is a public affairs analyst.
Palpable crisis is brewing in Nnewi over the election of the President General of Uruagu Community in the industrial town of Anambra State, with a business mogul and owner of Organiser Plc., Chief Innocent Okoli, accused of upsetting the apple cart.
The crisis has led to protests and resignation of members of the Board of Trustees (BoT).
One of the resignation letters sighted by News Band was from a legal practitioner, J. N. Obi, Esq.
Barrister Obi, until his resignation served as the Secretary of the Executive Committee and member, Uruagu Board of Trustees.
Tendering his resignation letter, Obi cited brazen violation of the Constitution of Uruagu Nnewi Community Development Union.
The letter was referenced OB/03 /296/2025, dated May 8, 2025, and addressed to His Highness. Obi A. C. Obi (Ogidi IV).
In the letter entitled “Letter of resignation as member, Board of Trustees (B.O. T) Uruagu Nnewi. Obi announced his resignation based on the following reasons:
- Article 8. 9 (a) of the Constitution of Uruagu Nnewi Community Development Union. 2022 (As Amended) states and I quote:
“The Board shall “Ensure the observance of this Constitution”. - Article 14.4 of the Constitution of Uruagu Nnewi Community Development Union 2022 (As Amended) states and I quote:
“Each ward shall submit a list of the Electors In writing to the Secretary General of the Union, one month before any election.
“The submission of the list of the Electors shall be done by the Ward Chairman In consultation with the Ward’s Obi.” - “The election sought to be conducted on Saturday, 10th day of May 2025, did not comply with the above provisious as it was on the Union’s general meeting of the I3th day of April 2025 that the expiration of the tenure of the Executives was announced.”
The legal pratictioner, however, noted that the election to be held on May 10 will not be up to one month.
He, therefore, resigned his membership of B. 0. T for failure to abide by the above provisions of the Constitution as stated above.
On his part, the former President General of Uruagu Nnewi, Chief Ambassador Charles Nwonye, decried series of illegalities in the proposed election championed by Chief Okoli.
He recalled the efforts of past and present stakeholders to ensure that Uruagu Nnewi Community Development Union is recognised as a legal and responsible entity in the state.
He, however, speaking in a voice note obtained by Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), regretted:
“It’s very, very unfortunate that those counsels that instituted Uruagu Development Union are no longer alive.
“They were the ones who were known for speaking out the truth. But at the same time, we will not all keep quiet.
“I, hereby, wish to bring the following to the attention of all Uruagu indigenes, scattered all over Nigeria and in the diaspora that four years ago, a similar thing happened.
“Uruagu Nnewi Constitution was also flagrantly violated four years ago.
“At the end, a lot of stakeholders asked the former Executive Committee to resign and leave en masse.
“The Constitution, however, allowed them to recontest.
“The Executive Committee then honourably resigned and no one of us recontested, ushering in a new Executive Committee.
“They argued that following the election, the Constitution will be amended to correct all the flaws and ensure no such flagrant abused repeats itself.
“They went for the election and what happened there was the same illegality we’re talking about.
“Some of our youths went and connived with mischief makers, disrupted the election and declared the present Executive Committee members winners.
“The youths stood by them in their misguided thoughts that the Executive Committee members enjoy special gains in the office.
“They disrupted the election and ensured that the present crop of Executive Committee members was ushered in.
“The election was heavily flawed and rigged in favour of Eloka Ike and Innocent Okoli, but we let go and left peacefully.
“The new Executive Committee promised to preside for only four years and leave, but we are currently seeing the same illegalities.
“I dare ask: Should Uruagu be known only for illegalities? I thought Ndi Uruagu are smart people?
“I have observed that there are certain individuals who are hell-bent on ensuring that the Uruagu leadership fails.
“They seem bent on destroying all our efforts, acting as agents of chaos and destruction.
“How can one man gather a bunch of Umuezeagu indigenes and take them to the court, claiming that they sued the union to court?
“They deceived the High Court and got a frivolous injunction against Uruagu people, all in the name of election!
“When I got this information, I knew that something was wrong.
“How can someone, after serving a tenure fraught with irregularities, fight his way to a second tenure against the people’s wish?
“I want to make it clear to all the delegates in the so-called election that it will not be possible to make an illegality legal.
“Anyone who casts a vote in that sham election is an agent provocateur, as well as a villain.
“Let it be on record that I denounced the so-called election founded on illegality and fraud and all participants, be it a delegate or participant in any manner is an enemy of the people.”
Chief Okoli and other responsible people of Nnewi leadership could not be reached for comment at the moment of this publication.
More details will follow…
The remains of HRH Eze Stephen Nwabueze Ugorji, Orji Ukwu 1 of Lorji Nwekeukwu Autonomous Community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, will be laid to rest on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
The late Eze Ugorji will be buried in his palace at Orji Ukwu Estate, Lorji, following a Catholic funeral Mass at St. Andrews Catholic Church, Lorji.
News Band was informed that His Excellency the Catholic Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, Bishop Okezuo Nwobi, has been invited to officiate at the ceremony.
Bishop Nwobi, it was learnt, has also accepted the family’s invitation to officiate at the funeral rites of the late grand traditional ruler.
This information was provided to members of the press in Owerri by the Opara Eze (First Son of the Eze), former Commissioner for Homeland Security and Vigilante Affairs, Dr. Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji.
His Lordship Bishop Okezuo Nwobi, the Catholic Bishop of Ahiara Diocese (Mbaise) and Eze Nwabueze Ugorji’s First Son, Dr. Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji
“The family is grateful to His Lordship for granting us a rare request to officiate at a funeral on a Thursday,” Dr. Ugorji said.
“Our father will feel honored and appreciated because he was not just a devoted Catholic, he shouldered the building of the St. Andrews Catholic Church at Lorji until his death,” the former commissioner added.
Igbo Corner
EXCLUSIVE: Ngozi Orabueze dissolves Biafra Govt In Exile as Simon Ekpa may spend longer time in prison
Dr. Ngozi Orabueze has abruptly dissolved the Biafra Government In Exile following secret information that his former boss, Simon Ekpa may not be coming out from Finnish detention in a hurry.
News Band reported that Mrs. Orabueze, a former Chief of Staff to Mr Simon Ekpa, the self-acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra Government In Exile, toppled his principal after he was thrown into prison for promoting violent agitation and terrorism in the Southeast of Nigeria.
Ekpa’s trial is scheduled to start in May 2025.
Ngozi, a former chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Atlanta, United States in a statement on Wednesday, announced the dissolution of Biafra Government In Exile.
She said all assets of the Biafra Republic Government In Exile and it’s affiliates shall be transferred to the secretary of the State of the United States of Biafra.
Orabueze also directed all officers of the former exile government to report to their counterpart with the United States of Biafra for reassignment.
The statement reads, “It is resolved that the Biafra Republic Government In Exile (BRGIE) is hereby dissolved as it’s reason for the existence has been superceded by the November 29, 2024 Declaration of the restoration of the Independent United States of Biafra
“All assets of the Biafra Republic Government In Exile and it’s affiliates(BRGIE corporation ID: D237527271) shall be transferred to the secretary of the State of the United States of Biafra.
“All officers of the former exile government shall report to their counterpart with the United States of Biafra for reassignment. All activities of the Biafra Republic Government In Exile shall cease as of February 15, 2025”.
Meanwhile, an insider source in the movement reliably told News Band that Ngozi decided to dissolve BRGIE after receiving intel that Simon Ekpa might spend longer time in prison.
The source also revealed that the Nigerian government is doing everything within it’s power to nail Simon Ekpa for all his atrocious acts in the SouthEast region.
So, the only way to keep the agitation going in the absence of Ekpa is to dissolve BRGIE.
“Yes, Ngozi Orabueze dissolved the Biafra Republic Government In Exile so as to be fully in charge of the assets belonging to the movement. With the way the Nigerian government is going about the case of Simon Ekpa, he may spend longer time in prison”, the source said.
Moreover, before now, Orabueze has been at war with some arrowheads of the separatist movement who refused to acknowledge her authority.
This however, has led to series of fights, accusation and counter accusations among the agitators.
We celebrate the life of Mrs. Roseline Udu Eze, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and pillar of strength.
Her unwavering love, kindness, and selflessness left an indelible mark on all who knew her.
Though we mourn her passing, we take solace in the legacy she leaves behind and the cherished memories we hold. Rest peacefully in the arms of the Lord, dear Roseline.
You will forever be missed.
May her soul rest in perfect peace.
Amen.
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