Ori Martins
Nothing dramatizes Lasisi Olagunju’s senselessness in his misguided attack on the Igbo in his column under discussion than when he stated that Ndigbo were thier worst enemies.
Relying on interactions he had with, probably, two or three Igbo on the Internet – if at all he did – Olagunju passed a sweeping and unsubstantiated claims on the Igbo. It is most unfortunate.
The fact of the matter is, there is no family, no kindred, no community, and no nation or state that does not have its share of discontent tones, especially in political, religious or social issues. Olagunju got it all wrong when he excoriated the Igbo on this issue but exonerated the Yoruba outright.
It cannot be easily erased from history books that the visionary Awo was the greatest Yoruba who ever lived. Yet, he suffered his worst political experience in the hands of a fellow Yoruba, Chief S.L. Akintola, who at a time was his deputy premier in the Western Region. As a matter of fact, Akintola ran to Northern leaders, had fraternity with them for the purposes of uprooting Awo and clipping his wings in Western politics. He succeeded partially (some say he failed) but with severe consequences.
Again, it must be equally be noted here that it was a fellow Yoruba, Justice Sowemimo who controversially jailed Awo in the wake of the disturbances that engulfed the First Republic and the military mutiny in the 1960s.
And, in the Second Republic, between 1979 and 1983, those who battled the enterprising Awo to standstill and submission were all Yoruba politicians and professionals. First, while Awo was fighting hard to get elected as the president of the federation on the platform of UPN, another Yoruba heavyweight, Akinloye Adisa, emerged national chairman of NPN and informed the world why Awo must not be allowed to be Nigeria’s president. It was shocking.
While the business mogul turned politician, MKO Abiola, shunned Abiola, pitched his tent with NPN even as it was recorded that he was the biggest investor of the party that had its stronghold in the north, another Yoruba, a legal luminary, Richard Akinjide, gave the outrageous interpretation of the 2/3 majority of 19 states from his hallowed position as the attorney general of the federation.
Remarkably, in 1983, to finally deal Awo’s looming larger than life image in Yoruba politics, the largely northern dominated NPN swiftly moved to register a fresh political party named NAP. It was strategically planted in Lagos and the presidential candidate was a Yoruba known as Tunji Braithwaite Moreover, some Yoruba elite colluded with NPN federal might to undo and outdo UPN governors in Oyo and Ondo states.
Politics in the country took a lull disposition and after 10 years of military rule, 1983/1993, the soldiers once again desired to return to the barracks. As it played out, Abiola was the one the lot fell on as he emerged the presidential candidate of SDP against Bashir Tofa of NRC. There were Issues begging for attention just as there were crises not resolved going into the Saturday, June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Hence, Abiola was costing home to victory, however, the election was halted and eventually annulled. Hell was let loose.
Abiola ran up and down for the restoration of his mandate. It was quite elusive and evasive. But the point was, it was a fellow Yoruba, Ernest Shonekan that agreed terms with the military leaders led by General Ibrahim Babangida, to deny Abiola as he (Shonekan) was appointed Nigeria’s leader on the platform of the Interim National Government arrangement.
And, had Prof Yemi Osinbajo been Igbo, Lasisi Olagunju and his fellow hatchet writers would have butchered him like a funeral cow on the account of betrayal, vaulting ambition, greed and ingratitude. Olagunju and his Igbo- phobia co travellers would have reminded the former vice president that he ought not to have challenged his master, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the presidential ticket of the APC. But Osinbajo is a Yoruba, thus, his actions were accepted by the Olagunjus of this world. The story would have been different had he been an Igbo. Yet, for record purposes, Osinbajo only expressed his constitutional rights as a Nigerian.
At the time Olagunju took Ndigbo to the cleaners, there were about five burning national issues begging for attention to wit: revelations from the presidential election petition tribunal, Asari Dokubo”s tirade on the Igbo, President Tinubu’s reforms (particularly the oil subsidy removal) that have caused severe panic in the polity, Lagos State Government’s demolition of Igbo dominated market of Alaba International and Enyimba of Aba’s ninth victory as Nigeria’s Premier League champions. None of these topics elicited Olagunju’s interest. He rather created his own chaotic story against Ndigbo.
Finally, Enyimba deserve a commendation. The Aba team practically understands the dramatic importance of lifting up Ndigbo via wining the Premier League title each time Igbo nation seems to suffer humiliation. After Dr Alex Ekwueme was roundly scorned in Jos at the PDP convention in 1998/99, Enyimba wiped Ndigbo’s tears following thier extraordinary performance in the Super Four League Play Off which saw them winning the coveted league shield for the first time in 2001. Enyimba retained the title in 2002.
The team was at its best form in 2003 when it not only lifted the league title for three consecutive times, Enyimba gave Nigeria her first ever CAF Champions League glory after about 35 years.
2003 was the year PDP denied Ekwueme its presidential ticket for the second time.
Enyimba’s other league heroics were 2007, 2010, 2015, 2019 and 2023. All have historic and symbolic significances to dislodge Olagunju’s hate article against the Igbo.
