The Igbo nation has always produced the most exciting optics in the marauding Nigerian tale of politics. The Great Zik classically distinguished himself as the greatest of all the nationalists that led the country to independence.
In spite of Zik’s towering strides and grand accomplishments leading to his emergence as the first indigenous president and commander in – chief – of Nigeria, he was maligned even by some of his Igbo compatriots.
The enterprising Chief K. O. Mbadiwe, in 1958, strongly moved against Zik, insisting that the leadership of NCNC was weak, and therefore called for Zik’s exit as president of the party as well as premier of Eastern Nigeria. Expectedly, Zik’s handling of the episode was phenomenon and he received applause.
Again, in the Second Republic in 1979/83, Zik, as the presidential candidate of NPP faced the NPN’s big challenge of Dr Alex Ekwueme as the vice president as well as Dr Chuba Okadigbo as the all powerful political adviser to the president.
Odumegwu Ojukwu added his capacity to the NPN weight on arrival from exile just as the indefatigable Chief C. C. Onoh provided all the technical support for the ruling party NPN against Zik.
That is, Zik who sought to be Nigeria’s executive president on the platform of NPP was not in the same party with his townsmen from the same state who chose the northern – dominated NPN party!
The legendary Ojukwu was alive when this dispensation came into being in 1999. At a time when most Igbo leaders pitched their tent with PDP, Ojukwu was among the few that identified with the APP (ANPP) before he switched over to APGA.
Besides Anambra State, no other Igbo state followed Ojukwu to APGA as Ndigbo overwhelmingly voted for PDP almost in all the elections notwithstanding that Ojukwu was APGA’s presidential candidate in the 2003 and 2007 general elections.
It must be pointed out that the Igbo politician is so mature and ingenious that in the First Republic, the irrepressible Alvan Ikoku of NCNC lost an election to his son, the G. S. Ikoku who contested on the platform of Action Group (AG). This is a part of the myth and legend of the ever dynamic Igbo politics.
His Excellency, The Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, was a foundation member of ADC as a coalition party. Also, His Excellency, Dr Peter Obi attended some of the critical and crucial meetings in Nigeria and elsewhere that gave rise to the coalition movement now known as ADC. When it was time for positions to be allocated, the former governor of Anambra State was allowed to produce the organizing secretary among other significant positions. Other leaders also got strategic positions for their regions.
The aim was to reassure him and others, the party’s preparedness to follow due process and fairplay in all its activities, particularly the presidential primary election.
Eventually, Obi, loved and admired by both the young and old, officially joined ADC on December 31, 2025. Since then, Obi has participated in most of the sensitive leadership meetings put together to strengthening the party by making it more attractive to Nigerians, especially the voters.
If Obi, experiencedq, exposed and polished, had discovered that the ADC is not the most suitable political platform for him to realise his ambition of being on the ballot in the 2027 presidential election, must Ihedioha be made to bear the brunt?
It would have been politically incorrect for Ihedioha to have jumped out of ADC on the grounds that Obi rushed out of the party to settle for NDC. This is so because what drives true political leaders is conviction anchored in idealism and principle. From the look of things, Obi is pragmatically convinced that with ADC his 2027 presidential dream will vanish like an early morning fog. On the other hand, Ihedioha is dogmatically certain that the ADC provides the best opportunity for him to accomplish his political desires, for now.
Taken together, both men agreed that there is need to cause a national leadership change. As Ihedioha succinctly put it in his response to Obi’s exit from ADC, “same objectives, different platforms”. Both men are on the same mission, same vision but from different directions and different vehicles.
Thus, why are some not well informed social media hackers now attack Ihedioha because of Obi’s ADC exit? The fact of the matter is, Ihedioha cannot be punished on account of Obi’s departure from ADC. He was not forced out. He chose to quit. Obi never committed any crime by exiting ADC. And Ihedioha showed resilience, character, courage and capacity by not jumping out with Obi who commands large following. Ihedioha braced the odds and decided to join hands in making ADC a stronger party.
Rather than crucifying Ihedioha, he instead deserves commendation for standing by his conviction like Wilson Churchill, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Ojukwu – leaders who believed in their convictions with absolute passion. These were leaders who never called it quits when the tide was against them. They rather remained calm in the face of a raging storm and eventually emerged victorious. This is the glorious path Ihedioha toed.
The frivolous allegation against Ihedioha by his mindless attackers is the former deputy speaker’s established harmonious political relationship with His Excellency Atiku Abubakar. It is obviously an incongruity. This is a treatment for another day.
