Voting demographics appear to be a consistent decimal in the assessment of Regional Electoral Value. For the South Geopolitical Zone, this has become a problem. This political stigmata is permanent. Because demographics will not really change. Next round they will still say winning is the key. For the South-east geopolitical zone of Nigeria, deep thinking, introspection and reflection are needed. A considerate and deliberate movement that is Westwards. Their education and enlightenment are liberalizing and liberating. A highly educated community could be fertile for continued educated dialogue.
Christopher Alexander Sapara Williams CMG (1855-1915) was the first Nigerian lawyer, called to the English bar 1879. James Pinson Labulo Davies (1828 – 1906) was a Nigerian businessman, merchant-sailor, naval officer, industrialist, and philanthropist.
Give me a highly literate and reading community, liberal in thoughts and non-dogmatic. Bring your power of persuasion and intellect. Bring the Trinity of Igbo character, Igbambo (hustle) Njepu (travel) and Ako na Uche (cot of reason). Be humble and sell your argument. Be persistent, humble, non-threatening and pray. We missed it. Okpara and our forebears saw it. The NCNC/ NPC alliance was a colossal failure for South-east. Ditto NPN/NPP. History repeats. AG/NCNC alliance 1956/57? Was aborted. Could have provided chief executive to either party. The AG/ NCNC alliance in United Progressive Grand Alliance, Awolowo and Okpara mired in pre-1966 coup imbroglio. The UPN/NPP alliance could have done the same. The threat of Ekwueme Presidency, writers claim, added filip to collapse of the Third Republic. But restrategize, the South East must. A reassessment and a restart. Based on a paradigm shift. Careful but calculated risk. The Igbo has to retrace the steps of Okpara and Awolowo, The United Progressive Grand Alliance. A marathon politician with solid home base support of colleagues and network of multi-located long- term Nigerian politicos, Tinubu is. Asiwaju, city boy they call him paid his dues over decades, performed creditably in governance and politics. With an A-Game, they could not wrestle it from him. He got worried, sounded the alarm for his troops, Shettima and others rallied. Decades of hard work, patience, resilience and tenacity paid off. The rest is history. That handshake across the Niger and a resultant Southern Coalition will build a Great Nigerian Partnership with our Northern brothers and sisters cutting across tribes, religions and all differences. A land where truly all tongues may differ but the voices will coalesce and resonate in a crescendo of synergy, amity and good conscience. The answer to the Igbo power conundrum maybe.
@ Chimaroke Nnamani MD, FACOG
