The Igbo, Yoruba, and Other Nigerians Are Fighting the Wrong Battles

BENJAMIN ADUBA

With 2019 elections battle lines now drawn, 2023 is becoming the new frontier for a battle between the Nigerian ethnic groups. Which region will produce the next contestants, East or West? And the Fulani North is using the offer of the presidency as bait to lull both groups to sleep. And both east and west are buying.

It is stupid.

The war for the heart of Nigeria has been fought, won and lost. The winner was/is the Fulani and they are smart enough to not engage in a re-fighting of the war they already won. Instead they create false battle fronts in which any winner is still the looser. The current false battle front is the presidency of Nigeria in 2023. The Igbo and Yoruba are at the fore front and will kill to get it.

But after either gets it, then what next? The battle they and all the other ethnic groups are fighting for is who would be the “front” for a Fulani Administration.

In the war for the heart of Nigeria which was won by the Fulani many years ago and consolidated by the two trump cards they have since played: manipulating the census figures and creation of states.

 

1. Manipulating of the census figures. In the 70’s the largest city in West Africa was Ibadan and Kano did not make it in the Top 10 West African Cities. Today Ibadan’s population is a small fraction of Kano. What happened? We know why Abuja and Lagos and PH are growing. They have the federal government, industries and oil. What fueled/fueling Kano’s population growth? To be ten times bigger than Ibadan and bigger than the entire SE states? The manipulating of the population numbers has enabled the Fulani to play their second trump card.

 

2. Creation of states. NW has 7 states while every other zone has 6 except for SE that has mere 5 states. Each state has three members in the senate so the distribution of the senate seats is  as follows:

* NW: 21

* NE: 18

* NC 18

* SW: 18

* SE: 15

*SS: 18. For a total of 108 senate seats.

 

Kano sate has a total of 44 local governments and Lagos state which has comparable population has just 20 local governments. How come?

The implication of all these data is that the allocation of resources whether based on population or number of local governments or states or geography, gives an undue preference to the Fulani..

It perpetuates the theory that whoever is in Aso Rock is just a front for the Fulani oligarchy. Jonathan, Obasanjo or come 2023 an Aduba. Such a front cannot make any significant changes and if he/she tries the person can be removed via a senate impeachment. The Fulani has the votes. The lop-sided allocation formula is fixed and the inflow of resources to the north will continue as usual.

The Igbo (and all other ethnic groups) must reject the offer of a meaningless 2023 presidency for it is just a bait. The Igbo must also reject the offer for a second Niger bridge. These are little pieces of meat in exchange for the entire fish.

The real war will be the revisiting of the census numbers and counting just living people and the recreating of states and LGA. Addressing of these two weighty issues will create a more balanced Nigeria. The South cannot do this by fighting for crumbs from the master’s table but for a seat at the table. If the south wants to win, it needs two important things: solidarity and a big stick. Solidarity is self-defined. The big stick will be allowing such organizations as IPOB, MASSOB, various Oduduwa and Ijaw militant groups to exist. They will serve as a reminder that if peaceful ways are not available that there are other alternatives.

Martin Luther King Jr. was successful in the fight against racism because of the existence of militant Malcom X. It made it easier for Americans to choose the peaceful means of Dr. King. IPOB et al will make the north listen to Ike Ekweremadu although Mr. Ekweremadu does not know this. It is time the south hearkened to the words of Theodore Roosevelt “speak softly but carry a big stick.”

 

 

Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba writes from Boston, Massachusetts