Why South east should vote Tinubu, not Okowa

It is impossible to say that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State’s selection for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) vice presidential ticket is a South East ticket. In any case, it does not satisfy the South East’s longing, and if they choose to support the PDP, they will suffer.

In a similar spirit, former President Goodluck Jonathan easily won office by running under the Igbo appellation “Ebele Azikwe”; regrettably, his administration had little to no impact on the region’s infrastructure.

Today, the PDP vice presidential candidate bears an Igbo name, although it’s easier for him to claim being an Igbo man based on the close boundaries his State shares with Anambra state in the south east but as much as we appreciate the shared name one cannot say that Ifeanyi Okowa is an Igbo man in all traditional sense. That I wake up tomorrow and change or be baptised with the name” Raul Benicio Del Toro” doesn’t make me Puerto Rican. Cultural identity is what makes you an igbo man,

1.The criteria for full recognition must be “consistent with the principles and requirements of igbo tribal recognition.

2.PDP vice presidential candidate needs to demonstrate descent from an historical Igbo group(s) that lived within any current igbo boundaries in the south east.

3.Show that the group’s members have retained a specific Igbo traditional identity.

4.Trace the igbo clan’s existence within the south east from first contact with the colonials to the present.

5. Provide a complete genealogy of current igbo clan members,(i.e) Age grade, traditional masquerade groups, family kitchen etc traced as far back as possible.

6.Show that the group has been socially and culturally cohesive Igbo community, at least as farther back if possible, by organizing separate cultural social activities, Chieftaincy titles, president Generals of their various communities, community businesses, cultural groups or the like.

7.Provide evidence of ancestral linage from any traditional ruler of a community within the 5 southeast states, with full membership restricted to people genealogiecally descended from the historic igbo tribe.

The South East stands to benefit nothing if tomorrow PDP wins the presidency although I don’t see any possibility of that happening. If it does, they will tell us that the vice president is Igbo hence we’ve gotten our quota. We will then be fooled with our eyes wide open. This isn’t Las Vegas, being Igbo isn’t by name alone to genuinely claim you’re Igbo just because it’s another political season, many criteria are truly required. These criteria have not been visible in either President Jonathan of or current vice presidential candidate from the south-south, hence it’s right to say they’re not Igbo and do not represent any Igbo interest. The question that every Igbo should ask before the 2023 presidential election should be, where best does the south east interest fall?

In 1999 President Obasanjo was elected President with the current PDP presidential candidate as his vice. The South East in their own quota had the position of President of the Senate, the number three position. Sadly the south east failed to benefit from the great opportunity and guided by politics of emotions rather than interest, the position was turned into a Senate of Bureau de change, impeaching and electing five Presidents of the Senate presidents in two presidential tenures, the highest in Nigeria if not in Africa. Starting from Evan Enwerem in1999 to Chuba Okadigbo 1999–2000, Anyim Pius Anyim 2000–2003, Adolphus Wabara 2003–2005 and Ken Nnamani 2005–2007, all of them belonged to the PDP.

This show of emotional political immaturity frustrated the South East opportunities of harnessing the benefits of such office which would have shaped their political future and created a solid foundation to enable us achieve the Nigeria presidency.