Prof MN Umenweke of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has been threatened. He said one Chris Uba threatened to kill him for declaring Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah the clear winner in penultimate week’s Anambra South Senatorial District National Assembly election. But Umenweke’s wife in a bold move unexpected of women of today confronted Chris, and he denied the allegation, saying he told her husband that he would kill himself for losing the election. Really! Chris who was reportedly seen crying like a baby over the election loss said he would kill himself or Umenweke, for what? What do you make of this? Does it worth it? A story for another day!

At the inception of his administration, Governor Willie Obiano assured Ndi-Anambra that he will be guided by the 4Cs principle, that is: Continue with projects began by his predecessor, Peter Obi; Complete and Commission them, and also commence his own projects. Has Obiano been able to do this?

Saturday March 9, 2019 governorship and state houses of assembly elections were conducted across the federation. But, in Anambra, only the house of assembly was conducted. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) appointed officers were using commentaries to change the narratives, after a woeful outing in the National Assembly election. They want to secure the State House of Assembly elections and they felt recognising Peter Obi would be fair to them against their “destroy Peter Obi” campaign mounted by Obiano’s media team, particularly his Chief Press Secretary, James Eze, from Enugu State.

I listened to one political adviser to Obiano, Sir Ifeatu Obi Okoye, talking gibberish on why APGA lost senatorial elections in the state. He justified why Obi’s the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made inroads and won in all the South-East, South-South, and even some South-West states. I equally read a commentary by one reappointed Managing Director of ABS, Nze Uche Nworah, praising Peter Obi to high heavens on the solidarity he got from Southern states and was appealing to APGA to give such to Obiano during Saturday’s elections to enable him get 30 House members from APGA. Before the election, Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator Uche Ekwunife and others, were treated like lepers, as the state media – ABS – refused to touch their news materials, even with money to pay. I even had to call the MD; yet, nothing happened because they were in opposition, even against NBC rules. But, immediately they were declared winners, ABS continuously sang their news as music. Anyway, it is a story for another day.

These are just two of the whole lot of people from APGA changing the narrative of hauling abuses on Peter Obi or justifying abuses on him for moving on in life after he was pushed out of APGA. There was nothing that was not said against Obi and his joining PDP to the full knowledge of Governor Obiano, who not only endorsed them but even came out and appealed to Ndi Anambra to support President Muhammadu Buhari against an Anambra son: Recall that same Peter Obi mobilised to ensure Obiano succeeded him as governor, no matter what it’s worth. Anambra people revolted and taught him a bitter lesson. There is too much deceit in Anambra’s governance. Revenue collection from hawkers banned in the markets is still there in full force, to mention but one.

Ubah and his friend – Chief Victor Umeh, of course, my friend too – literally held me incommunicado for Obiano’s sake, against my wish. But at payback time, Ubah got the shock of his life. I told him but he never believed me. Thank God he fought like a wounded lion to show the stuff he is made of, and it worked out for him. Now, Prof Chukwuma Soludo’s tsunami of disappointment is nigh.

Today is about Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi, former governor of Anambra State who – despite mounting opposition for his candidacy as the running mate for PDP’s presidential standard-bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by Governor Dave Umahi and Deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, among others – emerged the most successful and loved politician in Igbo land since 1999. Nobody has gained such wide acceptance by Ndigbo. Atiku and Obi won on the ballot papers, but Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reportedly denied them victory in its collation and announcement of results.

But the question arises: Why were personalities visiting Atiku and Obi begging them not to go to Court? Is going to court to seek redress for a political injustice a crime in Nigeria, even with suspension of the rightful Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, by the APC-led Buhari administration over reportedly nothing, or so I understood. Why was APC’s national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, bragging, yet, his tongue slipped, betraying the massive rigging? It may be surprising, but the reality is that governors in the South-east didn’t work much to mobilise people to vote and protect their votes, sequel to one pecuniary interest or the other, as people came out on their own to vote. Think about a situation where they worked for Atiku/Obi’s emergence, Nigeria would have bowed for the unity of purpose of Ndigbo, despite being viewed as republicans. Against all the threats and intimidation, Ndigbo voted Atiku and Obi, though APC and INEC collaborated in disenfranchising them either through violence, burning of electoral materials or failed card reader, as well as missing names.

Peter, one hopes this goodwill shown to you by Ndigbo should not be wasted as during governorship of Anambra State. You were loved by the people, but you rather wasted the love on people who were nowhere close to your sufferings but those who had names or had godfathers, whereas real time people dying for you daily were not recognised because their parents probably are nobody. That’s why Anambra was set back under Obiano, despite the propaganda machinery set in motion for attack against any perceived opposition. Had you shown love and on time to your die-hard supporters in your government, would Obiano’s government be fighting your ambition to bring good governance to Nigeria as you did in Anambra State under you?

You had your day in history on Saturday February 23, 2019 and it’s memorable. If you are a Yoruba man and won this election landslide like what we witnessed, streets would have become impassable due to protests, but Ndigbo have no time for protest most times unless goaded. But who shall goad them into action when the opposition is looking for whom to brand with “treasonable felony”? Please leverage on this goodwill and sustain it no matter the odds for your record is now set for Igbo presidency 2023, whether the 2019 stolen mandate is recovered or not. The political bigwigs in the north who are in PDP, such as Senate President Bukola Saraki, disappointed me and many others for not protecting the northern votes like Obi and his colleagues in the southern Nigeria did to their votes, despite the harassment , intimidation , ballot-box-snatching, burning of INEC card readers and materials, violence and killings.

Ezeigbo Gburugburu! Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu. That was the title by which Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was known and addressed until his death few years ago. We now refer to him in the past, but life must go on. Ojukwu was a Nigerian military officer and politician who served as the military administrator of the defunct Eastern Region after the 1966 coup. As military leader of the Eastern Region during the pogrom and subsequent crises that resulted in the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970), he had the responsibility of leading Biafrans in their struggle for self-determination. But it’s all over and we are now in the same country, despite that the slavish condition continues.

A new Ezeigbo Gbururgburu has to emerge. At a time, the late Eze Nri, Ezeobidiegwu Onyeso, traditional ruler of Agu-Ukwu-Nri, installed the Movement for Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, as the new Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu. That conferment divided Ndigbo more than ever. He has no capacity to capture Ndigbo to rever him as they did Ojukwu, or command same followership as Peter Obi did during the presidential election. Uwazuruike is still confused so to speak, as even the MASSOB he led is now in disarray.

But today, Ndigbo in Nigeria and globally have on their own crowned Peter Obi as the new Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu. For standing in for the 2019 general election and winning the solidarity of almost everybody in Igbo land was amazing. He has proved a point politically. This is not about hegemonist title, but a collective decision of Ndigbo across the globe via their solidarity and support on February 23, 2019.

Like him or hate him, I have admired Obi’s chutzpah in matters he had his heart and mind at. Is Peter Obi elitist, a leader and a ruler? Ndigbo on their own followed Peter Obi willingly as his personality signifies the dreams, hopes and aspirations of his people: the Igbo race. Peter is courageous, strong-willed even at the detriment of his emerging friends. He is a dreamer and visionary like the biblical Joseph.

Obi is a Nigerian businessman crowned “Okwute Ndigbo, which translates: Rock of the Igbo, by all the traditional rulers in Anambra State, led by His Majesty, Obi of Onitsha , Igwe Alfred Achebe unsolicited.”

Obi is a successful businessman, a management consultant and a politician who should have become the second Igbo man to become the vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Obi, 57 years old, is married to Margaret Brownson Usen, and the marriage is blessed with two children.

Thank you, my brother, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, 9^th President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, for leading us to speak with one voice in the last 40 years. It was amazing and unprecedented. Please, you should have no regrets because we have none, despite the gloating, ethnic profiling, hatred, jealousy and propaganda of the bigot against us. The sell-outs were at loss how Ndigbo came together and how that was possible, but it happened. What on earth informed the protest against the PDP and Alhaji Atiku’s intention to go to court to reclaim his mandate? What a shame to our leaders? I want to challenge what I perceived as an injustice in court and people are protesting asking me not to go to court. What a shame! Oshiomhole was blabbering for nothing because when the chips are down, he would be the first casualty for leading the party astray.

Mr Oseloka H Obaze (OHO), Chair, Anambra PDP Campaign Council Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign and PDP Candidate for the 2017 Anambra governorship election agreed with me that Ndigbo spoke with one voice at the presidential election.

•Odogwu, a Journalist/publisher and blogger, can be reached @ www.odogwublog.com; 08060750240; e-mail: odogwuchampionawka@yahoo.co.uk.

Update news