The Igbo nation is at a crossroads politically, not knowing which line of action to follow in the 2023 high wired dilemma.
As it stands, the Igbo has three opposing political forces to choose from. The quagmire is that none of the three options is easy to actualize. The options are: insisting on Biafra, ensuring an Igbo president emerges and calling for the restructuring of Nigeria.
Biafra:
The Biafra agitators are mainly Igbo youths, few elite and most Ndigbo in Diaspora. The Biafra struggle is made popular by groups like MASSOB, IPOB and BIM. Their major reason is anchored in what they term continued Igbo margnaization, exclusion and discrimination by successive governments of Nigeria since 1966.
The Biafra agitators and their followers that believe that Nigeria as currently constituted cannot be fair to the Igbo nation. The IPOB leader has made it clear that Ndigbo were in slavery in Nigeria and the only way to survival was for Igbo wards to support the actualization of Biafra. IPOB reeled out what it called evidence of 55 years of Igbo marginalization to back up its support for canvassing for the sovereign state of Biafra.
However, informed commentators have noted that the realization of Biafra between now and 2023 was like pulling a chestnut out of the jaws of a lion. This is because the processes of creating an autonomy out of the existing country are cumbersome. For instance, the Catalonians in Spain are still struggling for recognition since 1937. But Biafra agitators point to the breakup of countries like USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia in Europe, Ethiopia and Sudan in Africa.
Presidency
For obvious reasons, notable Igbo politicians are in support of Ndigbo going for the presidency in 2023. The main reason for the campaign, according to 2023 Igbo presidency campaigners, is that since 1966 Ndigbo have yet to occupy the number one position in the country, civilian or military. According to the former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, all the way from 1966, and in particular since 1999, no Igbo man has ruled the country. Ezeife and his Igbo president agitators are insisting that it is the turn of South East to be president in 2023.
Again, unless there is the repeat of the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo example of 1999 in 2023 where the votes of other zones produced the president, the Igbo cannot do it all alone. Even at that, the Igbo political structure is highly divided along APC and PDP lines. Even within those parties, there are still intra problems and divisions. Thus, like the actualization of Biafra, the realization of Igbo president is difficult.
Restructuring
Almost every Igbo ward wants Nigeria restructured. First, Ndigbo, particularly Ohanaeze Ndigbo with Chief Nnia Mwodo, cannot understand why there are only 15 senators out 109 members. Ndigbo want an answer to why there are only 35 reps members of South East extraction out of 360 in the house of representatives. And, why is that South East has the least of the LGAs in the country. And why is that Ndigbo are no longer represented in the judiciary, security and other national institutions? To end this malady, Ndigbo believe that only a restructured Nigeria can guarantee justice, fairness equity.
