Facebook user, Mbe Nwaniga, gives us insight into how he thinks the “no election” order of IPOB will turn out. Hear him:
The NPN was so desperate to “capture” Anambra in the 1983 election.A few of their largely young political strategists pushed by youthful exuberance probabaly thought they understood the complexities of the Igbo political culture so they suggested that President Shagari grant the almighty Odumegwu-Ojukwu state pardon and bring him back to help in their campaigns.
They sponsored massive media campaigns and emotive street propaganda beginning from 1982.Newspaper headlines concocted appeals to Shehu Shagari from millions of dead children, even Ojukwu’s mother and scores of angels in heaven cried to the president to “bring my son back”,”bring our messiah back”,”give us Ojukwu or there will be no elections in Anambra state or any part of Igboland”…Well,you know that our love for Ojukwu is still unequalled to this day.
The Shagari/NPN led federal government buckled under the debilitating pressure despite protests from the apprehensive military who nearly capitulated fighting the Ojukwu led Biafra just a decade ago.Our supreme commander was offered pardon and membership of the ruling party.
The day he came back from Ivory Coast was the greatest street carnival in Nigeria.From the airport in Lagos to nearly all major roads and streets ,millions of jubilant Igbo sang “Papa anata,Oyoyo”,Onye ije nno” in wild street parties. Ojukwu was registered to contest for the Senate and mobilised against the Jim Nwobodo/NPP led government in Anambra.They hoped to transform our idolisation of Ojukwu to a political victory.
Then came the election proper after a few months.An obscure Commissioner; Edwin Onwudiwe defeated Ojukwu by over 12,000 votes in an election that the police,army and federal agents tried so much to rig.
Those Igbo chanting for Ojukwu on the streets just a few months ago simply decided at the polls that Ojukwu should not be the one to represent them even at the Senate.You would pay a million to see the look on President Shagari and the rest of Nigerians faces at the time.We pulled a heavy prank on them,didnt we?What kind of people are these Igbos!! Hahaha.Odiegwu oh!
The unprecedented massive turnout of voters in Anambra this November would put that same look on our faces.Lets call it Igbo National Prank 2.
Should we bet on that?