President Buhari Immortalize Chuba Okadigbo Now!

ARINZE IGBOELI

“ I decided! I decided!!

To join the ANPP, to chase out those people (Obasanjo and Atiku) from Aso Rock” 

Chuba Okadigbo – In his acceptance speech as the running mate to Muhammadu Buhari of the then ANPP.

Last week, September 25th, 2019, marked 15 years since one of this nation’s most cerebral cum colourful politicians left this part of the earth to join his ancestors after contributing immensely to the dialectics of Nigerian politics. Chuba Okadigbo was simply one of Nigeria’s finest politicians and much as we his admirers will continue to remember him it is also pertinent to call on President Muhammadu Buhari and other powers that be, particularly of the SouthEast region to honour this man by way of immortalizing him that his legacies may be more solidified for future generations to learn from.

It beats me as an avowed supporter of President Buhari (I am not ashamed to state this) that five years after realizing a dream that did not begin in 2014 but in the early timelines of January the 5th 2003, Buhari is yet to immortalize Okadigbo, who made sacrifice upon sacrifice and even paid the supreme sacrifice with his life!

Perhaps, has President Buhari forgotten that he, Okadigbo, left the almighty PDP to the ANPP in the hope of becoming its presidential candidate, however, when he saw the wild spread waves of Buharimania, he quickly did his “political arithmetic” and decided to join forces with Buhari, giving colour and weight to a ticket that would may have lacked the luster expected to dislodge an incumbent in power.

People also do not know that Okadigbo would have been the All Progressives Grand Alliance’s first Presidential Candidate, but turned it down for ANPP’s ticket, perhaps given its national outlook as against an APGA that was deemed as an Igbo party. It was when Okadigbo declined the ticket that Emeka Ojukwu came into its billing, the rest is history. Had an Okadigbo settled for a regional party as APGA, Muhammadu Buhari would have settled for another running mate and not mincing words, none would have given that ticket the panache and flair that it attracted in 2003, I dare state and stand to be corrected, that even the Buhari/Osibanjo ticket did not possess half the flair, the Buhari/Okadigbo ticket had.

Even looking at it from another angle, what if an Okadigbo had decided to challenge the alleged railroading of the Buhari ticket, as a former SA Political to Shehu Shagari and Senate President in the fourth republic he would have surely possessed the much needed clout to assail that ticket, even President Obasanjo may have offered him a deal to woo him back to the PDP’s fold (one must remember that our politics then and as now still has the attributes of what Sunday Afolabi, a one-time Deputy Governor of old Oyo State and Minister for Internal Affairs described as an “Invitation to come and eat”, Okadigbo would have shunned the ANPP for a place at the “dining table”. Even more so, he could have moved to another party and still held his own against both Buhari’s ANPP and the PDP, dividing further the ANPP’s strength in 2003.

One is not calling for Chuba’s immortalization only on his contributions to the Buhari project, nay; like it or not Chuba’s contributions to the nation’s politics speaks volumes, his prowess as an academician and intellectual remains second to none in the annals of our history, his participation in politics was of a nationalist bent and one who firmly believed in the unity of this country, instances abound in which he would have transmuted into an ethnic bigot, but no, he was to die with the view that an attachment to tribe made one’s learning worthless.

As Senate President, Chuba gave the Nigerian Senate its finest form of leadership, the Senate under him was no longer the rubber stamp that Obasanjo preferred, the Senate resonated some form of legislative independence and sought to brandish a lofty intellectual outlook for the National Assembly.

Even the SouthEast leaders are guilty of neglecting Okadigbo’s legacies; most guilty is the Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano. Thus whilst we cast stones at Buhari, we are callously reminded by the grim fact that “Charity must begin at home”.

Finally, let me recall here one of Chuba’s prophecies that foretold Buhari’s coming

“The Establishment might not allow us to Rule Now, but be that as it may, on a very good day, at the appointed time, Buhari will rule Nigeria. What I do not know is whether I will be around when that happens. But even if am not there, (Chuba turned to Buhari) please Muhammadu, move on and fear not! The vultures will gather against you, but you know what we stand for. Be strong and continue for you shall overcome!”

Chuba again turned to Buhari, “It Will Not Be Long!”