Democracy is: Two wolves and a Lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is: A well-armed Lamb contesting the vote! -Benjamin Franklin

The year 2011 is sneaking-in on us. Very soon, it will be at our door steps. Remember that this is the year when the current occupant of Aso Rock, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua will seek another term or be voted out of office. So, what and how are Nigerians thinking about this date? More importantly, what are Ndigbo and in fact all ethnic nationalities of the former Eastern Region thinking about that date? It would be interesting to know if any sense if at all exists about what is going to happen regarding the presidency.

In 2007, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a southerner, literally and undiplomatically handed over power to the Shariarist North. He handed power to President Umaru Yar’dua out of spite and in total defiance of the South-South and South East. He turned up his nose at the East and spat on us. No Easterner had the gravitas or the mettle to be the President of Nigeria. According to Obasanjo, neither Governor Duke, nor Governor Odili, nor Patrick Utomi was good enough. None!

Are we mad? Are we angry?

Seriously speaking, are we mad? Are South East and South-South mad enough? Then, let’s do something about it. The year 2011 should be designated as the presidential year for the ethnic nations of the former Eastern Region. It is about time. They are the breadbasket, the goose that lays the golden egg for Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Kaduna.

What South-East and South-South must do?

We must bury our differences. We must bury the hatchet and resurrect the espirit-de-corp of the former Eastern Nigeria. Revolution of sorts is beginning to stir in the South East and the South-South. First, the South East, the Igbo states might actually have activist governors. These governors, it is reported are doing marvelous work. However, political cohesion is still their Achilles hill. Hopefully they will begin to take baby steps towards uniting the Igbo nation. This is vitally important.

The second thing going for Ndigbo is that they have established or seeking to establish South Eastern Economic Commission. Wow! That is exceptionally heartwarming and courageous. We have put our first foot out for our first step in a journey of a million miles.

Third, Alhaji Dokugbo Asari is reported to have called for unity among the ethnic nations of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria. This is totally unprecedented - the very best news anyone has heard from former Eastern Region in 45 years. Asari Dokugbo must be followed up on his words. This cannot be let to die due to apathy. Igbo political elites, traditional chiefs and members of the clergy must get on this case and iron it out while the iron is still hot. The states of the South-South and states of the South East are coming together to unify and to fight together and achieve progress together. They would defy their enemies and nay-Sayers. This broken stool must be fixed before the end of the age of hydro carbon. Before oil is passe.’

What to do is simple. There is a need for urgent, soul-searching mea culpa between South-South and the South East. Nothing short of “Truth and Reconciliation” conference - that will include delegates form the Obama administration, Archbishop Desmond Tutu or the President of SA and Wole Soyinka,  - must be convened in short order. All our ethnic brothers; Igbos, Bayelsans, Ijaws, Ogonis, Effiks/Ibibios, Akwa-Iboms – who now have their own states, MUST BE ASSURED that no big-brother-domination is even remotely possible. This assurance is very critical. Then and only then, can they feel comfortable sitting down to participate, to plan for a new renaissance for all our peoples. The proverbial phoenix will rise again. Nigeria will never be the same.

Primed for Two party state

Senate President Ken Nnamani and Former Secretary General of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Frank Kokori at the end of 2007 election, made some memorable statements that resonated with me. They both separately and independently advocated for a two party system in Nigeria. What are Nigerians waiting for? What is the South East waiting for? South-South, what are you waiting for?

 The militants boasted that all GREEN areas of the map have more than 60% strong Islamic worshipers. Yellow areas have less than 10% Islamic worshipers.  Well, that YELLOW speck, that little sliver of yellow is South East and South-South. Take a look at that little yellow spot. Look at it again! I want us to convince ourselves that true democracy will and can exist here. I want us to determine that a vibrant democratic party would exist in that small yellow area, that it would sally forth from the east.

The East is 90% Christian and western-oriented. The East (South-South and South East) must work together to protect that little yellow spot in the interest of ideological Democracy? Every age has its own jobs cut out for them. This is our job.

Nigeria must become a two party state because it is already primed for it. It is unavoidable. It is imperative. Primed by religion and geography, urgent introduction of two-party state system must be advocated. Please, take a look at the map to the right. Two-party system is clear for all to see. The orange and ochre areas have been incontrovertibly separated into two ideological blocks – Conservative Sharia in the north (orange) and the western Democracy (yellow) middle and south. This is, ladies and gentlemen, the delineation by religion and ideology - Northern Islamic Sharia versus Southern Christian Democrats.

The North have shown us the way

Ten northern states have carved out their collective Islamic Sharia – a political space. The South East and the South-South should collectively carve out theirs too? The boundaries of the former Eastern Region ought to be politically defined. Just as Sharia harkens to the law of Islam and draws inspiration form Saudi Arabia, former Eastern Region should be able to have theirs based on the Judeo-Christian principles.  And look to the west for inspiration. This is critical.

Inadvertently, the north has shown Nigeria the way; they have pointed us to the way to achieve true democracy and two-party system - Islamic Sharia Party in the north and Christian Democratic Party in the south, headquartered in the East. Unwittingly, they have solved our problem if we in the South East and the South-South have the gumption, the prescience, the political temerity to do the unthinkable.

Ten Ndigbo who wanted to be president

In 2007 election season, not less than ten men of Igbo ethnic nationality wanted to be president. Yes, not two, not three but ten.  What a disaster of esoteric magnitude? What were those men thinking? Igbo political naïveté can be frightening and troubling. With a kaleidoscope of meaningless acronyms and alphabet soup of letters masquerading as parties these Igbo men went on the chase the fool’s gold. Nothing so shameful or asinine had ever been perpetrated on Ndigbo by Ndigbo themselves. It was like none of these so called parties ever knew that the others existed. Everybody just went about doing there own separate agendas, no Igbo agenda, no Eastern agenda, not even a credible Nigerian agenda, no nothing. It was shameful as well as stupid. Now, the question is; are we heading once again to the same debacle? Have we learned anything?

Democracy can radiate and beckon

From the east hopefully, a formidable ideological Democracy can radiate like a breath of fresh of air. It will beckon to all Christians as well as non-Christians alike. The choices between the ideologies will be stark clear - Western-Christian-Democracy OR Arabic-Islamic-Sharia. You make your choice. There is no doubt in my mind that a vibrant, ideological based Democratic party must be created as a matter of urgency in preparation for 2011. Hopefully, this party will expose the foolishness of divided Igbo; it will also attempt to bring all peoples of ethnic states of the former Eastern Region into one ideologically-based party. All western-oriented and democracy loving peoples of Nigeria will be fought for Obama style; block-by-block, brick-by-brick, calloused -hands-by-callused hands until Democracy is established in Southern Nigeria. The age of oil is fast coming to an end. We must act fast to unite. The marginalized, the neglected, the disunited breadbasket of Nigeria must rebuild itself from oil.  There is very little time left.

Can the South Eastern states as well as South-South leave the third world behind and match boldly on into the 21st century. A political sea-change had just occurred in the United States of America. A black man is now at the helms of world’s most powerful nation – Barack Obama

South East and South-South please repair this stool and give Nigeria an Obama?

Zubbie Ekwueme lives and writes in New Berlin, Wisconsin.

Robot  # 1 | 22.11.2008 19:29

The year 2011 is sneaking-in on us. Very soon, it will be at our door steps. Remember that this is the year when the current occupant of Aso Rock, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua will seek another term or be voted out of office. So, what and how are Nigerians thinking about this date? ...Read the full article.

bob  # 2 | 22.11.2008 20:20

no comment

forshow3  # 3 | 23.11.2008 04:19

Hope for you 2011 .. forget it. The only way, you would ever have hope for you. IS the satellite pictures are i am posting. make sure your people send it around to each. copy and send it is to as many friend as possible. that your people hope. but with fake census. o boy in place, make your people continue to dream on.

Yankari  # 4 | 23.11.2008 10:31

What a pile of manure. You mix up so many issues with admirable ease, its difficult to take you seriously and even more difficult to begin to reply. When will we move away from ethnic politics. Never once did you mention any character traits, accomplishments or vision you want from a president in 2011, you will simply be satisfied so long he is Ndigbo or a southener, be careful what you wish for lest you end with Andy Uba or Ibori. You mention Obama but forget he went a long way to widen his support base beyond blacks. Whats all this crap of christian and Muslim political parties, You dont think enough damage has been done in this country already in the name of religion without formalizing these institutions and giving them a hand in government. You wait till Helen Ukpabio becomes governor of Akwa ibom state. While im totally for true federalism, resource control etc, the question i keep asking fellow southerners which i never get a decent response to is, Why are all the militants and the likes of yourself clamouring for more money, Aso rock etc as a solution to all the problems in the south. Why in the name of God are you not channelling some of that energy to holding your local government chairmen and Governors to account(ransom some might argue). From 3% allocation under IBB we now get 13% in oil producing states yet what can we show for it. So you think if Ibori and Odili were given 100% allocations during their tenure the delta would have been any better today Whats your guarantee that if an Ibo man is president in 2011 it will make a blinding difference in the east in particular or nigeria as a whole. Goodluck is VP, lets see if the south south would be any better in 2011. Yoruba got obasanjo (with northern backing some would add) what have they to show for it. What is the north benefitting from yaradua, not to mention Nigeria.For all the celebrated education yaradua is supposed to have has he shown the faintest hint that he has a clue of what he is supposed to do as president. He is taking over 5 months to replace a cabinet when Obama has his almost ready in less than 3 weeks! When when when, would the criteria we look for in our politicians be competence, integrity, vision , honesty etc and not ethnicity or religion. We've played politics that way for 48years see where it has gotten us. Excuse my rant but im sick to the bones of supposedly enlightened and intelligent people continously talking rubbish!

Onyeachonam-Okwu  # 5 | 23.11.2008 12:56

Yankari: Get hold of yourself right there. Do not split any artery. Your quote: Whats your guarantee that if an Ibo man is president in 2011 it will make a blinding difference in the east in particular or nigeria as a whole. There is no gurantee. But something is stiring in the East. An agenda is in the offing. We will open up the Eastern Economic Corridor. This will require massive commitment of Oil money, petro-dollars. Control of this critical asset has been denied these people from the East for the past 40-45 years. If they can get together, unite as the used to be before a war that was foisted on them, Nigeria will never be thesame again. Here are issues: 1. Lock-system dredging of the Niger river to Onitsha-Asaba inland port 2. Elevating Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu 3. Building the Second Onitsha-Asaba Bridge 4. Opening up and promoting Tinapa Resort in Calabar 5. Resuscitating Nigeria Coal Corporation in Enugu 6. Roads, Federal Industries 7. Opening up PortHarcourt to challenge Lagos port. etc, etc

lawal kurabau  # 6 | 23.11.2008 14:22

Sorry fellow socalled Nigerian,why always you have nothing to do only to talk noncense about your leaders this is rubbish,and always south or east,all this is nonsence, what have they done?even to their areas,look only those areas have the militants group,which they can not clear it and always pointing pinger to their leaders,why?respect your leaders may be oneday you will become a leader you do not know,and leave our respectifull,sincere,and uncurrupted leader to move our country to the right position for the benefit of true Nigerian citizen and other countries.

Abraxas  # 7 | 23.11.2008 18:39

Hi, Yankari! T'ank yoo, ojare, my pikin. Yoo be ya papa and mama pikin, {yoo hear?} There is nothing more that I can add to what you have just said: Well spoken, old chap! Muchas gracias. Don Juan-Carlos ABRAXAS (III)

Dewdrops  # 8 | 24.11.2008 06:49

=Robot;292734>The year 2011 is sneaking-in on us. Very soon, it will be at our door steps. Remember that this is the year when the current occupant of Aso Rock, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua will seek another term or be voted out of office. So, what and how are Nigerians thinking about this date? ...Read the full article. What South-East and South-South must do? We must bury our differences. We must bury the hatchet and resurrect the espirit-de-corp of the former Eastern Nigeria. Revolution of sorts is beginning to stir in the South East and the South-South. First, the South East, the Igbo states might actually have activist governors. These governors, it is reported are doing marvelous work. However, political cohesion is still their Achilles hill. Hopefully they will begin to take baby steps towards uniting the Igbo nation. This is vitally important. The best thing I have read all week. Let us pray for the Ubas and their loyal Okija shrinists then. As for the South of Nigeria?......don't hold your breath. I have more hope that "salvation" will come from the East than from that "South" where the mindset is sooooooooooo warped! I am sick of this Northern-Western alliance that has kept Nigeria backward for 48 years, 1 month and 24 days. Now this is ma Martin Luther King Dream speech right here. The Northern and Western parts of Nigeria have done absolutely nothing to make the rest of Nigeria feel like Nigeria. It is my prayer that the East and the Southern parts of Nigeria who have played lackey infidels would wake up and smell the manure some day. Thank you for this article.....the greatest tragedy of the entity called Nigeria. Democracy is: Two wolves and a Lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is: A well-armed Lamb contesting the vote! -Benjamin Franklin One of my most favorite "famous words"! What we have in the Eastern and Southern parts of Nigeria currently are sitting lame ducks....not even lambs.

forshow3  # 9 | 24.11.2008 11:14

There is no gurantee. But something is stiring in the East. An agenda is in the offing. We will open up the Eastern Economic Corridor. This will require massive commitment of Oil money, petro-dollars. Control of this critical asset has been denied these people from the East for the past 40-45 years. If they can get together, unite as the used to be before a war that was foisted on them, Nigeria will never be thesame again. Here are issues: 1. Lock-system dredging of the Niger river to Onitsha-Asaba inland port 2. Elevating Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu 3. Building the Second Onitsha-Asaba Bridge 4. Opening up and promoting Tinapa Resort in Calabar 5. Resuscitating Nigeria Coal Corporation in Enugu 6. Roads, Federal Industries 7. Opening up PortHarcourt to challenge Lagos port. etc, etc una why just not call it using yoruba oil money to develop igboland.. i did not even see you point to an new project in ijawland, all you plan is igboland. can you why dokubo would prefer to die than have anything business with igbos. get it right ijaw people want to be seperate. every man for himself. what you should provinces with power.. then all your dream will come to past. first of all for the writer why would a hausa/yoruba man vote for you, when you dey curse they yash. you see why they do not vote for you. To get people to like you, it is not by doing evil to do or curse thier yash.. it is by been good to them.. to be honest with you. your people better start sending out email with the satellite pictures i have posted show that you have a chance for the presidency if the supreme court cancel the election... make sure as many people as posible see the picture. it makes it impossible for them to rig the election. in true democracy, nobody care for where you come from. i am helping your people. hopefully i would help you send it to about 100,000 people. but it on you to send it to millions of people. information my brother na power. if not igbos should honestly stop to dream or wait for 2078.. may be by then igboman may be president. this is your chance is it break or loss it. you have the conference to make a life time change. seek provinces in nigeria. that is the only way. and try to get yorubas to join the republic of benin. that way you eliminate yorubas, so that when hausa man finish is own president , your people can be the next..

forshow3  # 10 | 24.11.2008 11:24

my friend this is secret between me and you, i don see what is under igboland.. i have infrared satellite picture of igboland. igboland have alot of oil under their ground. millions of barrel. i tell you hausa can not let you go now.. there can let yorubas people go, we no get anything... but under igboland walahi, una get some much oil. so una go now quickly before the hausa man know say una get oil under una ground. if they discover.. una be slave for every. send me an email i would show. all of your people would very soon be force or move to benue state so that nigeria can explore the oil under igboland. you are all going to be homeless.

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