As the battle of political power-play of who and what zone gets the high profile positions in the ninth National Assembly goes on, as the ninth Assembly is set for its inauguration on Tuesday this week, Igbere TV decided to have an interview with Hon. Demian Igbokwe, an APC chieftain and National Coordinator of COALITION OF SOUTH EAST YOUTHS FOR BUHARI (COSYB), a Buhari Support Group that played a major role for Mr President in the 2019 General Elections, to hear hi opinion as to what he thinks about the tussle of zoning in the 9th NASS as it seems the Southeast is being left behind.
In a brief interview with our correspondent in Abuja, Hon. Igbokwe while pouring out his heart about the current happenings in the national politics said that excluding the South East from the ninth NASS leadership will spell doom for the nation as a whole.
We sought to know how he feels about the clamour for the Southeast to be accommodated in the 9th Assembly, Hon. Igbokwe has this to say:
“It’s against the federal character arrangement for this Administration to look the other way while the Southeast is sidelined in the helms of political affairs. It’s absurd for anyone to refer to the Southeast as a zone the nation can do without.
I am seeing a nation drifting into total disunity, and I am surprised that those running the system are very comfortable with it. It’s also very sad for anyone to subject the Southeast to the condition of begging to be accommodated. How do we reconcile the fact that the third leg of a tripod is being neglected in a nation State where the Igbo, the Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani are the biggest three?
Is it not funny that the Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani want to take everything with what they have introduced as a new lexicon in our national politics? They ask:What did the Southeast bring to the table? When did that become a national benchmark for national inclusion on the basis of population, spread and just whatever?
“We have had Assemblies before this 8th and 9th. All the previous Assembly arrangements have been accommodative to all the zones of the nation, why would the 8th and 9th Assemblies be such a ridiculous set-up? If you have six or ten offices to share among six geopolitical zones,why would any zone take two at the expense of others?We can now see through the hypocrisy of some of our so-called leaders!
When Sen. Ngige had failed to return to the 8th Assembly, the leaders of our Party were busy telling anyone who cared to listen that if only the former Governor had returned, he would have been automatically anointed President of the Senate.
Compare then to now,how many Senators-elect do we have? It’ s aIl cheap politics. I once heard my friend from the southwest say that the Southeast didn’t vote APC and, as such, shouldn’t expect much.
Again, as I said before, I have always found that laughable, because, the Southeast voted for the APC, but results were written against APC by the Southeast PDP which, I believe, was done in connivance with a part of APC high command. I know what I am saying because I participated fully in the elections. I am not ashamed to say it,we from the Southeast played into the hands of those who do not want any good for us.”
“The INEC dribbling on Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s Certificate of Return, the INEC-mediated impasse on Sen. Ben Uwajumogu’s re-election and the speed with which the all-scarce Certificate of Return was issued to Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba of Accord,who came third in that election ,by the same INEC that are delaying that of Rochas after court ruling, while withdrawing that of Hon. Chike Okafor.
All of these are a sad proof that somebody or a group somewhere does not want to see the Igbo in a major political position in the land and I am surprised that our leaders are not talking,they are all systematically gagged! All of these were orchestrated,in the first place,to quarantine the Southeast into a cull de sac from where we can merely plead,as we are doing,for a crumb from the master’s table without a position in the next Assembly or any where that could offer us a strong leadership voice in the country.”
“From the arrangement on ground, the Muslim/ Muslim slot will tell badly of the next Assembly! The Senate President, a Muslim and the Speaker and his Deputy,from all indications, Muslims.
The Judiciary,another arm of government itself, is also headed by a Muslim;both at the level of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
So what has happened to our balancing ideals in a secular State like ours? Or have we suddenly become an Islamic nation without knowing as some are wont to allege? APC, are we that insensitive to fundamental realities and nuances as a Party or are we condemned,cursed to make these mistakes that will never allow any escape route when President Buhari eventually ends his tenure in 2023?
When that time comes,who will bail the cat for the APC?
Among those currently on parade as national and regional leaders of the Party I see no head that can fly past all the realities I have itemised; unless and, of course, until the Party chooses to retrace its steps from the path of perdition that we have witnessed in recent times. Thank you.”
We sought to know how he feels about the clamour for the Southeast to be accommodated in the 9th Assembly, Hon. Igbokwe has this to say:
“It’s against the federal character arrangement for this Administration to look the other way while the Southeast is sidelined in the helms of political affairs. It’s absurd for anyone to refer to the Southeast as a zone the nation can do without.
I am seeing a nation drifting into total disunity, and I am surprised that those running the system are very comfortable with it. It’s also very sad for anyone to subject the Southeast to the condition of begging to be accommodated. How do we reconcile the fact that the third leg of a tripod is being neglected in a nation State where the Igbo, the Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani are the biggest three?
Is it not funny that the Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani want to take everything with what they have introduced as a new lexicon in our national politics? They ask:What did the Southeast bring to the table? When did that become a national benchmark for national inclusion on the basis of population, spread and just whatever?
“We have had Assemblies before this 8th and 9th. All the previous Assembly arrangements have been accommodative to all the zones of the nation, why would the 8th and 9th Assemblies be such a ridiculous set-up? If you have six or ten offices to share among six geopolitical zones,why would any zone take two at the expense of others?We can now see through the hypocrisy of some of our so-called leaders!
When Sen. Ngige had failed to return to the 8th Assembly, the leaders of our Party were busy telling anyone who cared to listen that if only the former Governor had returned, he would have been automatically anointed President of the Senate.
Compare then to now,how many Senators-elect do we have? It’ s aIl cheap politics. I once heard my friend from the southwest say that the Southeast didn’t vote APC and, as such, shouldn’t expect much.
Again, as I said before, I have always found that laughable, because, the Southeast voted for the APC, but results were written against APC by the Southeast PDP which, I believe, was done in connivance with a part of APC high command. I know what I am saying because I participated fully in the elections. I am not ashamed to say it,we from the Southeast played into the hands of those who do not want any good for us.”
“The INEC dribbling on Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s Certificate of Return, the INEC-mediated impasse on Sen. Ben Uwajumogu’s re-election and the speed with which the all-scarce Certificate of Return was issued to Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba of Accord,who came third in that election ,by the same INEC that are delaying that of Rochas after court ruling, while withdrawing that of Hon. Chike Okafor.
All of these are a sad proof that somebody or a group somewhere does not want to see the Igbo in a major political position in the land and I am surprised that our leaders are not talking,they are all systematically gagged! All of these were orchestrated,in the first place,to quarantine the Southeast into a cull de sac from where we can merely plead,as we are doing,for a crumb from the master’s table without a position in the next Assembly or any where that could offer us a strong leadership voice in the country.”
“From the arrangement on ground, the Muslim/ Muslim slot will tell badly of the next Assembly! The Senate President, a Muslim and the Speaker and his Deputy,from all indications, Muslims.
The Judiciary,another arm of government itself, is also headed by a Muslim;both at the level of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
So what has happened to our balancing ideals in a secular State like ours? Or have we suddenly become an Islamic nation without knowing as some are wont to allege? APC, are we that insensitive to fundamental realities and nuances as a Party or are we condemned,cursed to make these mistakes that will never allow any escape route when President Buhari eventually ends his tenure in 2023?
When that time comes,who will bail the cat for the APC?
Among those currently on parade as national and regional leaders of the Party I see no head that can fly past all the realities I have itemised; unless and, of course, until the Party chooses to retrace its steps from the path of perdition that we have witnessed in recent times. Thank you.”
