APC convention: Igbos, not other tribes, marginalizing themselves – Political analyst, Bawa

A political analyst in Zamfara State, Alhaji Musa Bawa, has said the southeasterners should blame themselves for not producing Nigeria’s president for decades, saying that it has emerged that they do not speak with one voice.

According to him, the disunity among them has brought into sharp focus why they have been sabotaging their own efforts and paving way for other geopolitical zones.

Speaking with newsmen in Gusau, the state capital, Bawa pointed out that they are the ones marginalizing themselves.

He explained that the parochial political strategy of the Igbo has become an ember of disunity.

“In the just concluded APC presidential primary election, only Eboyi State expressed the spirit of brotherhood, Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Imo states’ delegates sold their votes to some none Igbo contestants,” he said.

“I am still surprised that at this stage, the Igbos have not learnt their lessons. When the time comes whosoever is complaining should know where to take his or her complaints to.”

According to him, in the just concluded All Progressives Congress presidential primary election, Ebonyi State had 39 delegates, saying that out of that figure, Engineer David Umahi got 38 votes; Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who is also from Ebonyi State, got one vote making it 39.

Bawa said that Imo State had over 100 delegates, Rochas Okorocha got zero, Emeka Nwajiuba got only 1 vote, adding that the delegates simply voted for Bola Tinubu of the Yoruba extraction.

“Anambra State had about 100 delegates, Ikeobasi Mokelu from Anambra got zero vote. Simply they went to Tinubu and Amaechi. They didn’t vote for a South Eastern aspirant. Abia State had about 100 delegates. They didn’t vote for a Southeastern aspirant.

“They voted for Senator Dr Ahmed Lawan of the Northeast. Enugu State had about 50 delegates. They didn’t vote for a Southeastern aspirant. They shared their votes between Tinubu and Amaechi.

“Tomorrow, the South easterners will be chanting the song of marginalisation when it’s clear that apart from Ebonyi State, other South East States are a sellout in the struggle to have Southeastern persons grabbing presidential tickets of major political parties in Nigeria.

“This they replicated in the presidential primary of the PDP. Only Ebonyi State delegates delivered a South easterner, Senator Pius Anyim with 100 percent,” he said.

“Anambra, Enugu, Abia and Imo states sold theirs. It’s important that people of the Southeast who aren’t into politics note this. When we talk about the state that has the interest of the Igbo at heart politically, only Ebonyi State comes to mind.

“With this kind of mentality by the other four Southeastern States, the Igbo man doesn’t stand a chance into the Aso Rock.

“Today, these sections are almost in a state of impassability. I hope Igbo people are taking a record of this.

“Igbo’s are the ones marginalising themselves and when the judgement comes to fore, Ebonyi State would be excluded from the statistics of the Southeast States that are mercantile in politics and anti Igbo political movement and philosophy.”