Igbo Corner

Zoning: Igbo Leadership group berates PDP, proffers candidates

Published

4 years ago

March 25, 2021

The Igbo Leadership Development Foundation [ILDF] has berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its latest position on the zoning formula of the party for the 2023 presidential ticket.

ILDF insisted that in line with the express provision of the PDP constitution, since power has resided in the North for two straight terms it has to move South, specifically to South East which has been the practice since 1999.

The group, therefore, recommended former President of the Senate, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, former Governor of old Abia State, former National Chairman of All Nigerian Peoples Party, and current Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former Governor Anambra State, and former Vice Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and former CEO of Pfitzer and Neimeth Pharmaceuticals, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa as potential candidates.

The full press statement by Igbo Leadership Development Foundation reads:

Our concern over the ominous sign from the PDP Presidential Review Panel report recommending the scrapping of zoning for its 2023 presidential ticket

The Igbo Leadership Development Foundation (ILDF), in consultation with several pan-Igbo organizations, especially the New Generation Leadership Development Foundation (NGLDF), and well-meaning Nigerians wishes to place on public consciousness as follows:

We feel greatly worried by the recommendation of the Bala Mohammed Committee, set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to review the party’s performance in the 2019 Presidential election. In summary, the review panel recommended the scrapping of zoning for the PDP presidential ticket in 2023.

The PDP after receiving the Panel’s report set up what it called a technical committee to review the Panel’s report and get ready for adoption.

We are aware of the surreptitious moves within the party to zone its presidential ticket to the North. That explains why the Bala Mohammed Committee mentioned North East particularly for consideration if zoning must be contemplated at all by the party.

For those who missed the panel’s report, permit us to refresh your minds with some excerpts, and we note: the Bala-led Committee predicated this wacky decision on the need to get the best hands to pilot Nigeria. Bala’s rambling speech read in part:

“In line with certain unwritten conventions of the nation’s history, many people think that for fairness and equity, the North-East and South-East geo-political zones that have had the shortest stints at the Presidency should be given special consideration in choosing the presidential flag bearer of the party for the 2023 election.

“While we admit that this is a strong argument, we should not lose sight of the fact that Nigeria is endowed with many capable and very experienced leaders in every part of the country.

“Moreover, the exigencies of the moment demand that nothing should be compromised in choosing the leader with the attributes to disentangle the country from the present quagmire.

“Therefore, we think that every Nigerian from every part of the country should be given the opportunity to choose the best candidate through a credible primary election, as a way of institutionalizing a merit-based leadership recruitment process for the country.”

We therefore believe that this panel’s report, contradicted itself and threw both caution and constitution of the PDP into the gutter by recommending that PDP presidential ticket be open to all Nigerians, and an all-comers affair.

For the avoidance of doubt, permit us to quote the PDP constitutional provision on zoning. The rotation and zoning principle was engrained into the PDP party’s Constitution in 2009. Article 7 (2) (c) of the PDP Constitution states:

“In pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices, and it shall be enforced by the appropriate executive committee at all levels”.

So, in line with this express provision of the PDP constitution, since power has resided in the North for two straight terms it has to move South, specifically to South East, in the spirit of rotation and zoning, which has been the practice since 1999.

All the political parties ought to flow with this national understanding. PDP, APC, and other major parties cannot be moving North when power is supposed to be moving South, if they hold the unity and continued corporate existence of this country dear to heart.

It is in this context that Igbo Leadership Development Foundation found the Governor Bala Mohammed-led PDP Post-Election Review Panel report submitted to the Prince Uche Secondus-led NWC very vexatious, provocative and unacceptable and indeed condemnable.

This report has attempted to repudiate the principle of zoning and rotation of the presidential seat between North and South Nigeria, which has brought so much stability and sanity to the polity since the return of the country to democratic governance in 1999.

Such party leaders pushing for the jettisoning of zoning and rotation of Presidential seat when their zones have filled the office based on the same principle, are promoting injustice in an unhealthy and ungentlemanly equivocation, which goes to reinforce the belief by many that there is no honour and decency in politics in Nigeria, particularly in the PDP.

You recall that a one-time governor and now senator once called the PDP “Papa Deceive Pikin” and rightly so.

We in ILDF can only remind such leaders in the PDP and indeed in all political parties who now believe that zoning no longer matters, to refresh their minds and recall that the one reason the PDP lost power in 2015 was because of repudiation of zoning which presupposed that the North should complete its eight years under former president Umar Yar’dua.

We need not remind those politicians who believe that the PDP will return to power at the center through elite conspiracy to read the handwriting on the wall and see a repeat of history in the making.

The protest votes, which swept the PDP out of Aso Rock is fermenting again and the leaders who are goading their Political parties along the inglorious path have only themselves to blame if they do not perish the plot forthwith.

ILDF wants to place on record that we recognize the fact that all these surreptitious moves to scuttle zoning in the political parties is aimed at stopping the South East from producing the President of Nigeria in 2023, being the only zone yet to take a turn on that count in the Southern part of Nigeria.

Consequently, we call upon the critical stakeholders of the PDP in particular and all the other political parties and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians to urgently and publicly denounce the Bala Mohammed report.

ILDF wishes to warn that there will be consequence if our efforts at promoting peace and unity in Nigeria through dialogue is sabotaged; and if the hope and aspiration of the South East to produce the President of Nigeria in 2023 is frustrated and unduly dashed through such machinations.

In specific terms, the ILDF will go all out in mobilizing the South East to get even with any political party which believes or acts as though the South East does not count in the current political equation.

It will be recalled that the Igbo Leadership Development Foundation, in its pursuit of peace and national unity, organized a National Conversation – The Great Debate for National Unity, which focused on Federal Character, Restructuring and Rotation of Presidential Power in Nigeria.

That historic event held on March 5, 2020 at Sheraton Hotel Abuja, organized by ILDF in collaboration with Gregory University Uturu, New Generation Leadership Development Foundation and Center for International Advanced Professional Studies, Lagos.

We will continue to preach unity, equity and fairness in the relationships among ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, including the rotation of Presidential power in our polity.

The Igbo Leadership Development Foundation (ILDF) remains a pan-Igbo sociopolitical group, focusing on promoting good governance, equity and conscientious leadership in Nigeria with particular interest in the South East geopolitical zone.

As you are aware, the Foundation is, at the moment, promoting the emergence of a Nigerian President of South East extraction in the 2023 General Elections. The simple reason is that the South East is the only geopolitical zone in Southern Nigeria that has not produced a President for the country in the present democratic dispensation.

For practical purposes, the ILDF has been consulting and searching for the “best of the best”, of south east extraction, and has narrowed the search to four personalities.

ILDF is proud to announce that it has come to the conclusion that any of these four great Igbo sons will make great President of Nigeria, of South East extraction, and they are as follows in no particular order:

Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, former President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation
Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former Governor of old Abia State, former National Chairman of All Nigerian Peoples Party, and current Honourable Minister of Science and Technology
Mr. Peter Obi, former Governor Anambra State, and former Vice Presidential candidate
From the corporate world, we strongly recommend: Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, former CEO of Pfitzer and Neimeth Pharmaceuticals

We believe that the emergence of a Nigerian President of South East extraction is not only long overdue, but also a win-win; and most auspicious at this point in our nation’s history, as it would complement the post-war Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction policy of government and cement our nation’s unity.

We firmly believe that full Re-integration of the South East into the nation’s polity, which was unfairly left out among the ‘3Rs’, will be best achieved by electing a Nigerian president of South East extraction.

The emergence of Nigeria President of South East Extraction will also douse the nerve of separatist agitation by people who strongly believe, rightly or not, that Nigeria has continued to deal unfair blows to the people of South East because of the civil war.

At this point in Nigeria history, the power-givers and power influencers are expected to use the Obasanjo / Falae formula to zone the Presidency to the South East in 2023.

We wish to seize this opportunity to thank the growing number of patriotic citizens from all parts of the country who have thrown their weight behind the push for the emergence of Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.

Any political party which chooses to ignore this prevailing national political sentiment does so at its own peril; and should be prepared to forgo the support of the South East in particular and that of well-meaning Nigerians who believe in fairness, equity and justice in general.

We therefore emphatically conclude: The Rotation Principle to South East to produce the next president for Nigeria in 2023 would be the political glue for continued peace and unity, and the smartest way forward in containing the lingering injustices against South East ; and lingering ill-feeling over the Nigeria-Biafra civil war.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Signed:

Dr. Godwin I. Udibe
Chairman

Onyebuchi Obeta Esq.
National Secretary

DR. Law O. Mefor
Director, Public Affairs

Post Views: 13

Analysis

Nigeria is radicalizing the Igbo, one injustice at a time ~ by Abolaji Rasaq

Published

3 months ago

May 21, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

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.

Post Views: 41

Igbo Corner

Crisis hits Nnewi over Uruagu PG election, as BoT members protest, resign

Published

4 months ago

May 9, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

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…

Post Views: 36

Celebrity/Entertainment

Late Mbaise monarch—Eze Nwabueze Ugorji to be buried May 22, 2025

Published

5 months ago

March 14, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

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.

Post Views: 44

Igbo Corner

EXCLUSIVE: Ngozi Orabueze dissolves Biafra Govt In Exile as Simon Ekpa may spend longer time in prison

Published

6 months ago

February 13, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

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.

Post Views: 31

Igbo Corner

A tribute to Mrs. Roseline Udu Eze

Published

7 months ago

January 29, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

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.

Post Views: 34