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The Igbo nation has always produced the most exciting optics in the marauding Nigerian political tale. The Great Zik classically distinguished himself as the greatest of all nationalists who led the country to independence.
Despite Zik’s tremendous strides and great successes that led him to emerge as Nigeria’s first indigenous president and commander-in-chief, he was also vilified by some of his Igbo compatriots.
The enterprising leader KO Mbadiwe, in 1958, moved strongly against Zik, insisting that the NCNC leadership was weak, and therefore called for Zik’s exit as party president as well as premier of eastern Nigeria. As expected, Zik’s handling of the episode was phenomenal and received applause.
Once again, in the Second Republic in 1979/83, Zik, as the NPP presidential candidate, faced the great challenge of the NPN of Dr. Alex Ekwueme as Vice President and Dr. Chuba Okadigbo as the all-powerful political advisor to the President.
Odumegwu Ojukwu added his capacity to the burden of the NPN upon arrival from exile even as the indefatigable leader CC Onoh provided all technical support to the ruling party NPN against Zik.
That is, Zik who sought to become the Executive President of Nigeria on the platform of NPP was not in the same party with his fellow citizens from the same state who chose the northern dominated NPN party!
The legendary Ojukwu was alive when this dispensation was established in 1999. At a time when most Igbo leaders pitched tent with the PDP, Ojukwu was among the few who identified with the APP (ANPP) before moving on to the APGA.
Apart from Anambra state, no other Igbo state followed Ojukwu to APGA as Ndigbo overwhelmingly voted for the PDP in almost all elections despite Ojukwu being APGA’s presidential candidate in the 2003 and 2007 general elections.
It must be emphasized that the Igbo politician is so mature and resourceful that in the First Republic, the irrepressible Alvan Ikoku of the NCNC lost an election to his son, the GS Ikoku who contested on the platform of the 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 founding member of the ADC as a coalition party. Furthermore, 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 came time for the positions to be allocated, the former governor of Anambra State was allowed to produce the organizing secretary among other significant positions. Other leaders also obtained strategic positions for their regions.
The goal was to reassure him and others of the party’s preparedness to follow due process and fair play in all its activities, particularly in presidential primary elections.
Eventually, Obi, loved and admired by both the young and old, officially joined the ADC on December 31, 2025. Since then, Obi has attended most of the sensitive leadership meetings organized to strengthen the party making it more attractive to Nigerians, especially voters.
If the experienced, exposed and refined Obi found that the ADC is not the most suitable political platform to realize his ambition of being on the ballot in the 2027 presidential election, should Ihedioha be forced to bear the brunt?
It would have been politically incorrect for Ihedioha to abandon the ADC on the basis that Obi had rushed out of the party to settle for the NDC. This is because what drives true political leaders is belief anchored in idealism and principle. From the looks of things, Obi is pragmatically convinced that with the ADC his 2027 presidential dream will vanish like a morning fog. On the other hand, Ihedioha is dogmatically certain that the ADC offers him the best opportunity to realize his political desires, for now.
Taken together, both men agree on the need to bring about a change in national leadership. As Ihedioha succinctly stated in his response to Obi’s exit from the ADC, “same goals, different platforms”. Both men have the same mission, the same vision but from different directions and different vehicles.
So, why are some uninformed social media hackers now attacking Ihedioha due to Obi’s exit from the ADC? The fact of the matter is that Ihedioha cannot be punished due to Obi’s departure from the ADC. He wasn’t forced out. He chose to stop. Obi never committed any crime on his way out of the ADC. And Ihedioha has shown resilience, character, courage and ability by not skipping out with Obi who enjoys a huge following. Ihedioha withstood the odds and decided to join forces to make ADC a stronger party.
Rather than crucifying Ihedioha, he instead deserves praise for standing by his beliefs like Wilson Churchill, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Ojukwu – leaders who believed in their beliefs with absolute passion. They were leaders who never gave up when the tide was against them. Rather, they remained calm in the face of a violent storm and ultimately emerged victorious. This is the glorious path taken by Ihedioha.
The frivolous accusation against Ihedioha by his senseless attackers is the former Vice President’s established harmonious political relationship with His Excellency Atiku Abubakar. This is obviously an inconsistency. That’s a treatment for another day.
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