One
of my childhood friends, as well as my university mate, Engr. Chuka Esonini
resident in Holland, called penultimate week to congratulate me personally as a
staunch member of the civil society, for the recent peaceful and successful
political history recorded in the Nigerian polity. ‘Chukas’ as he’s fondly
called is a vibrant young man who strongly believes in appreciation; those days
on campus, precisely Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), both of us
were into school activism. He thought it wise to congratulate/salute my humble
self because he was of the view that I and many others who are into this
crusade contributed immensely towards the sensitization of the electorates and
the citizenry at large on the need to accept the results of the said polls in
good faith or with a spirit of sportsmanship.
In response to the aforementioned commendation registered by my old time
buddy and fellow technologist, I told him unequivocally that the peaceful
outcome of the Presidential polls was owing to God’s timely intervention, and
not by the making of any individual or statesman as being presumed or
circulated in some quarters. On the long run after exchange of series of ideas
and experiences, he saw reason with my perspective thereby at a juncture he
willingly concurred with my person.
Thank God the long awaited Presidential cum National Assembly elections
have successfully came and gone. Presently, Nigeria in her entirety is looking
forward to witnessing a totally different political transition and dispensation
since her birth. No doubt, Friday May 29, 2015 shall usher us into a dawn of a
completely new era as far as Nigerian democracy is concerned.
As millions of Nigerians are presently filled with anxiety coupled with
high level of curiosity in regard to the forthcoming democratic dispensation,
on the contrary several others are preoccupied with challenging political talks
as well as tussle. In view of the latter, the incoming legislators of both the
upper and lower Chambers of the National Assembly are not left out.
Of course, it is only a dummy that is yet to acknowledge the fact that
as soon as Chief Mohammadu Buhari is being sworn in or assumes duty, what next
would be the leadership of the National Assembly, as stipulated or mandated by
the Nigerian constitution. Please pardon me; I prefer to go by “Chief” rather
than “General” in order to free the entire Nigerians from biased mindset. On
this note, I humbly suggest to the President-Elect to urge the media and
Nigerians in general to stop addressing him as a “General” since he is now a
full-fledged ‘converted’ democrat. Sorry for the digression anyway. Let’s ride
on!
Like I was saying prior to the break in transmission; after May 29, Nigerians
would be discussing the legislators that will lead the Senate as well as the
Federal House of Representatives as the Senate President and the Speaker
respectively. As it stands, the Igbos or the members of the South-Eastern
geopolitical zone are of the view that the leadership of the apex legislature
is their prerogative.
Before I air my view, let’s
briefly go back to history. During the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration
which commenced in 1999, the South-West having occupied the Presidency
position, which is the “number one” position in the country, and the North
being in the position of Vice-Presidency, a South-Eastern legislator in the
person of Late Senator Evan Enwerem was unanimously elected by the members of
the Senate as the Senate President in order to balance the equation.
Subsequently, the Late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’dua became the President of the
Federal Republic in 2007, and the South-South had their share in the position
of the Vice-Presidency thereby making the North-Central to stand in as the
Senate President in the person of Senator David Mark.
And finally as fate would have it, in 2011 the South-South in the person
of Dr Goodluck Jonathan emerged as the President and he is currently deputized
by a Northerner. At the commencement of the ongoing dispensation ably led by Dr
Jonathan, the position of the Senate Presidency, by virtue, was due for either
the South-West or South-East, but unfortunately as a result of some political
mechanisms, the North still occupied the said position leaving the South-West
empty-handed and compensating the South-East with the position of the deputy
leadership of the Senate; a mechanism that made Sen. David Mark to make a
history as the first Nigerian to serve as a Senate President for two
consecutive terms.
Due to the anomaly, the leaders
of the South-Western region cried foul, claiming that they were treated
unfairly; a scenario that almost constituted a chaos. Let’s not delve into the
detail of what prompted the foul play. Though afterwards, the South-West
appeared to have been compensated by having the privilege to serve in other
positions of high hierarchy; meanwhile, we’re all aware that it won’t function
exactly like analgesic if it is an adulterated one.
Going by the current look of things, it is obvious that by equity sake,
it is the prerogative of the Igbos to occupy the position of the Senate
Presidency as regards the incoming transition. But pathetically, there is a
major political loophole that might make the South-East to lose the said
leadership bid.
Considering the just concluded National Assembly election, it occurred
that virtually all the positions of the National Assembly in the South-East were
won by the opposition, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). Few of the
contestants who emerged victorious under the aegis of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) are not legitimately qualified to lead any of the Chambers of
the National Assembly; courtesy demands that any law maker to be elected as
either the Senate President or the Speaker must had served for at least a term
in the Senate or the House of Reps as the case may be. And by political
tradition, it is far-fetched for a member of any opposition party to be at the
helm of affairs in the National Assembly; besides, PDP would constitute the
minority come the 8th Senate. Therefore, having APC in the position
of the Presidency, courtesy demands that, in order to sustain a stable
political system, APC ought to lead both the upper and lower Chambers of the
legislative arm.
However, to ensure that Ndigbo
wouldn’t forfeit the anticipated position, there is only one way out and must
be considered imperatively and seriously. The totality of the leadership of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East is expected, as a matter of
urgency, to look beyond their respective individual interests and adopt someone
or better still a trusted and eligible person among the incoming legislators in
the opposition party - the PDP. For this vision to be actualized, the persons
involved must place the interest of Ndigbo at large ahead of their personal
interest.
To this end, the political leaders in South-East under the auspices of
Ohaneze Ndigbo should rally round and discuss collectively as one united and
indisputable family with the sole aim of adopting a worthy son of Igbo
extraction that will represent the zone irrespective of his political
affiliation.
Suffice to say; this critical and sensitive circumstance can only be
unraveled by embracing consensus. In other words, Ndigbo as a family ought to
reach a consensus now or never. They shouldn’t allow mere sentiments to becloud
their sense of logic. Think about it!
COMR FDN
NWAOZOR
(The Media Ambassador)_____________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056
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