By Ogbonnaya Onu
I specially thank the leadership and members of the World Igbo Congress for inviting me to speak to you. I have been asked to speak on the very important topic: “The Igbo, the path to Nigeria’s Presidency in 2015.” May I also use this opportunity to thank you for your numerous efforts in helping to nurture, revive and propagate the Igbo culture worldwide.
It is remarkable that of all the major ethnic groups in our dear country, the Igbos are the only ones who are indigenous only in our country. There is no other country in the world where Igbos are an indigenous people. Today, propelled by the indomitable spirit of adventure and entrepreneurship, the Igbos are found in every part of our dear country and in virtually every country of the world.
In the past two decades or more, each time you have invited me, I have come personally to speak to you. I remain very appreciative of the enormous contributions which you made, which you are making and will continue to make in the development of Igboland. I am very confident that if the Igbos in the Diaspora can work together with other Nigerians living abroad, you can all help bring the highly needed investment and specialised skills for the rapid development of our country.
I also believe that wherever the Igbos, living both at home and abroad, are to meet at the level which this convention envisages, the ideal venue ought to be in Igboland. I know that there can be a lot of difficulties and challenges in achieving this ideal situation. However I am convinced that with good plans, determination and commitment, this can be achieved if not soon but certainly in the not too distant future. Let us plan to hold our next convention in Igboland.
Nigeria needs the Igbos, just as the Igbos need Nigeria. Even though the next general election is still many years away, yet public discussion about it is everywhere in the country. This was the situation even by last year.
The Igbo must not fail to realise that in our country, there is no provision for independent candidates. Any one who wants to run for an elective office, whether as a Councillor in a Local Government or as the President of the Federal Republic, must be sponsored by a political party. Hence the first important step in running for election is to contest and win the primaries of a political party and become its candidate. This fact is often over looked by many people and by the time the reality dawns on them, it might have become too late to effect any change.
For the Igbos to do well in politics, they should not put their eggs in one basket. What we have today is that most of the Igbo elite are in the ruling party. They believe that the ruling party is where the action is. This has its advantages. It certainly has many disadvantages.
It is very important to always consider what happens in such a case if, for one reason or the other; the ruling party is unable to make available its platform? In that case every effort made, then comes to nothing. Should this be allowed to be so? No!
The Igbos in politics should look beyond the ruling party. We should study the political terrain very carefully and take decisions which are in our own very best interest. We should always remember what our ancestors taught us, that when answering the call of nature, we should go with two pieces of sticks. If one falls by the wayside unnoticed, the other can still be relied upon to perform its duty when the need arises.
The Igbos need an alternative political party that has a national reach and is not perceived by the general public as a regionally based party. The All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, is that political party which the Igbos should embrace so that they can always make a viable choice. The Igbos need to diversify, as an insurance against the unknown and the unseen.
For twelve years ( 1999 – 2011), the ANPP remained the second largest political party in the country. It initially controlled nine States of the Federation which spread across three geo-political zones of the country. It also controlled slightly above one quarter of the membership of the National Assembly. At that time, the party won elections at different levels from all parts of the country. Even though its fortune has declined, it now controls three States. Two of them are in the North East, while the third is in the North West. The ANPP has a Senator from Kogi State in North Central Nigeria and a Member of the House of Representatives from Ebonyi State in South East Nigeria.
Since I took over as National Chairman of the ANPP, my colleagues and I have worked very hard to rebuild the Party. The ANPP of today is stronger than what it was yesterday. The ANPP is now more united, focused and stable. We have institutionalised internal democracy within the Party such that our nomination primaries are free, fair, credible and peaceful. We are leading Nigerians to embrace issue-based and ideas-driven politics. Our new manifesto, which will soon be presented to the public clearly shows that the ANPP has its own distinct personality and that we are commited to the happiness and well being of our people as well as the unity, stability, peace and prosperity of our nation.
The ANPP has engaged other major opposition political parties in discussions with the aim of coming together to present a strong and a more attractive political platform to contest future elections. We have started early and we are working very hard. By the grace of God, we will succeed.
Our ultimate aim is to have two strong political parties in the country, in addition to other small parties that meet the needs of special interest groups. The strength of the two major political parties will be such that none of them going into an election can be sure of winning until the election is over, not to talk of boasting to be in government for sixty years or perhaps for ever. This will introduce effective competition in the political arena such that a political party in government today, can be in opposition tomorrow. It is then that those who occupy public positions will put the interest of the nation first, knowing that if they do not satisfy the people, they can be voted out of office. It is when this happens, that those elected into public office will be the true servants of the people.
The time has come when the Igbos should stop putting all their political eggs into one basket, particularly when the basket is in the custody of others. Allowing the Igbo ambition to be determined by only the ruling political party, can result in disappointment at a time that no remedy exists. This cannot be the right road to follow.
The Igbo should remember that its political leaders were the founding leaders of the All Peoples Party, APP, that later became the ANPP. These great Igbo sons and daughters laid the foundation and nurtured the Party to what it was in 1999. These Igbo political leaders include Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Chief Sam Mbakwe, Chief C. C. Onoh, Chief E. C. Iwuanyanwu, Chief Arthur Nzeribe, Chief Evan Enwerem, Chief Ken Nnamani, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, Dr Hyde Onuaguluchi, Chief Martin Elechi, Chief Chekwas Okorie, Chief Ben Obi, Chief (Mrs) Joy Emordi, Dr Ezekiel Izuogu, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, Chief Chris Nwankwo, Chief Frank Ogbuewu, Chief Lynda Ikpeazu.
Most distinguished ladies and gentlemen, looking at the personalities I have mentioned even though many of them are of blessed memory, the ANPP should be a home for the Igbo. I urge the Igbos to embrace the ANPP. By the grace of Almighty God, the ANPP gives us a good chance of success both today and tomorrow.
May God bless theAll Nigeria Peoples Party. May He also bless our dear country, Nigeria. I thank you so much.
Onu is the National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party. He delivered the speech at Igbo Leadership Forum, World Igbo Congress, USA.
