posted
Is it not amazing that full fledged human beings will go to an Igbo gathering with Iwuanyanwu and Irukwu as leaders? Unless these two and their likes become leppers in Igbo land no progress should be expected. -------------------------------------------------
2007: Irukwu, Iwuanyanwu now want S’East presidency By GABRIEL DIKE Monday, May 22, 2006
Mores Stories on This Section Leaders of the Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, made a sudden U-turn at the weekend, clamouring for a South-East president after their dream of securing a third term for President Olusegun Obasanjo was quashed by lawmakers last week.
The Igbo leaders, including Professor Joe Irukwu and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, announced their new stand at the Igbo Unity Conference organised by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos at the weekend. Irukwu, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, tasked the other zones to allow justice prevail as he pointed out that it is the turn of the South -East to produce the president in 2007. "North has ruled, West has also ruled, it is our turn next year," he said.
Irukwu noted that the North had ruled for 35 years, West for 12 years, while the East tasted the presidency for just six months and after President Obasanjo, it would be the turn of Ndigbo to produce the number one citizen of the country.
He added: "The only consensus we are prepared to make is to our brethren in the South- South. All those zones that have not produced president must produce one, otherwise they are not serious about the stability and peace in Nigeria." On his alleged support for third term, Professor Irukwu said Nigerians should not believe everything they read in the Newspapers and that Ohanaeze had maintained the same position from beginning till today to produce the next president in 2007.
His words: "All those things you hear are the imagination of some people. We have maintained that when President Obasanjo leaves, he should hand over to an Igbo man. That has always been our position. We have never changed our position."
Irukwu acknowledged that the 1999 Constitution is defective and Ohanaeze at the National Political Reform Conference called for the operation of a true Federal Constitution. Speaking at the same occasion, Chief Iwuanyanwu told Daily Sun that Ndigbo had made it clear that the next President of Nigeria must come from South-East or South-South as the presidency cannot go outside the two zones.
He said: "It is an Igbo man that will take over from President Obasanjo and in the absence, somebody from South-South. We have stated this position in strong terms. For fairness, justice and equity, it must be so." The PDP Board of Trustees member explained that Nigerians must support the demand of the South-East or South-South as 80 per cent of the nation’s wealth are from the two zones.
Iwuanyanwu said at the confab, the two zones came together and agreed that the next president after Obasanjo would come from South-East or South-South, adding: "It is a matter of Nigerians, who believe in Nigeria and its unity that the president should either come from the two zones.” On the quashed third term bid, Chief Iwuanyanwu refused to comment on the bill thrown out by the National Assembly.
Professor Irukwu had earlier been reported to have told the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review (JCCR) at Abakaliki that over 50 million Ndigbo supported President Obasanjo for a third term in office. Chief Iwuanyanwu was identified as the arrow-head of the third term campaign in the South-East, where he was said to have mobilised federal lawmakers from the zone to support the extension of President Obasanjo’s tenure.
Posts: 1532 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2001
| IP: Logged
posted
It is sometimes good to waffle. After all, Senior Bush accused Clinton of waffling and not maintaining a position. Bush, then, was photographed going to a waffle-house for a breakfast to send a message to Clinton. That's politics. Who won at last?
Politics of third term played by Ohanaze to Obj is good politics. Rejection of Obj's third term by the Hausas, is a victory for power shift to the North.
Posts: 288 | From: California | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged
posted
Rick I completely disagree with you here, if Prof Irukwu and Ohanaeze wanted some credibilty they would have kept a pragmatic position like Afenifere did. Lets face it Ohanaeze should make it clear that they don't speak for Igbos. Afenifere had every reason to support Obasanjo's third term, after all Obasanjo is their son, and have been good to Southwest. But they maintained a pragmatic position, while Ohanaeze went gun hoe about Obasanjo and his third term. Today Afenifere is looking prestigeous while Ohanaeze waffles and eat crow.
In a situation like that, an organization like Ohanaeze all they could have maintained was to say they believe in the constitution and due process. That was all Nnamani did to come out smelling Roses. Today nobody knew which way Nnamani was leaning, but because he allowed the senate rule to prevail, today he is the biggest winner. He would have also looked good if Obasanjo side had won. Because the process was credible, the whole world have acknowldged the credible way the senate conducted that debate. So Ohanaeze should quietly die and bury herself because her credibility is damaged beyond repair.
posted
I think it amounts to hypocrisy for some of you to be accusing someone of waffling when in reality you are guilty of the same offence. In one breath you want Biafra actualization, and second after, you want the next president of Nigeria to be of Igbo extraction.
Remember that Afenifere (Yoruba of the Southwest) is not agitating for Presidency in 2007. So, regardless of any position that they maintained over third term, they have nothing to loose.
Let's assume that Obasanjo is now shopping for a replacement. He will not be looking for one from the North. That is where the politics of waffling from Southeast/Southsouth pays off.
Posts: 288 | From: California | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged
quote: That is where the politics of waffling from Southeast/Southsouth pays off.
LOLOLOLOL You guys sef!
___________________ BIAFRA: The land of my ancestors now, yesterday and always. So it will be! Posts: 2483 | From: Ala Igbo | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged
posted
Whereas Biafra came as a result of the nigerian injustice, the awusa feudal system of killing anyone who does not share their crazy religious doctrine, what excuse do people who screeched for third term have? Was third term about injustice or a means of ending the one sided rule of idiots? If this is not so, then the Igbo who ask for the presidency as a way to begin the healing process and eliminate the lopsidedness cannot be said to be double speaking when they ask for Biafra as alternative to your nigeria. The call for Biafra every person with one-third of brains should know is due to the absence of real democratic atmosphere and nothing to do with hypocrisy. When this atmosphere is nourished, the agitation for separate nations will begin to slow down.
___________________ BIAFRA: The land of my ancestors now, yesterday and always. So it will be! Posts: 2483 | From: Ala Igbo | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
