“Tinubu has no intention of restructuring Nigeria in a way that weakens Lagos’ grip on national revenue. Real restructuring means redistributing infrastructure, federal presence, and ports, which threatens the economic dominance of Lagos and the Southwest.”
By Hon. Chimazuru Nnadi-Oforgu
Are we truly awake as a people? Or are we still sleepwalking through a nation that has consistently schemed us out of power, influence, and prosperity?
The Hard Truth We Must Accept
Ndi Igbo are not just marginalized, we are perceived as a threat.
A threat because of our entrepreneurial genius.
A threat because of our fearless intellect.
A threat because we are independent-minded and difficult to control.
Rather than integrate us, the Nigerian power elite, from North to South-West, has consistently united to neutralize the Igbo political presence. It’s not paranoia. It’s pattern.
From 1951 to 2023 – A Consistent Pattern of Betrayal
1. 1951 – Zik won Lagos, but Awolowo outmaneuvered him, snatching the Western House majority.
2. 1966 – The Yoruba intelligentsia quietly aligned with the North, launching a counter-coup that buried the Igbo-led first republic.
3. 1979–1983 – Abiola’s ambition to be president led to alleged support for coups that ended the Shagari-Ekwueme era.
4. 1999–2007 – Obasanjo destabilized five Igbo Senate Presidents, ensuring no Igbo rose in the ranks while he cemented power.
5. 2015–2023 – Tinubu led the alliance that delivered Buhari, with Osinbajo as VP, again, sidelining the Southeast.
6. 2023 – When Peter Obi became a mass movement, Tinubu outmaneuvered him with state capture and judicial politics.
Now in 2025, Bola Tinubu is plotting 8 years in office, locking the Southeast out of Aso Rock until at least 2039.
The Data They Won’t Show You
Since 1960, the Southeast has produced zero elected presidents.
The Southwest has ruled 16 years (Obasanjo 8, Tinubu ongoing).
The North has ruled for over 40 years cumulatively.
The South-South got 6 years under Jonathan.
In all this time, the Southeast has been kept out, even as we drive:
Over 40% of Nigeria’s non-oil GDP via trade and commerce.
One of the largest diaspora remittances into the country ($30 billion+ annually).
Major investments across all geopolitical zones except our own.
2027: The Fork in the Road
Let no one be deceived by handshakes and grins on TV. Yoruba political elites are not emotional. They are strategic.
Tinubu has no intention of restructuring Nigeria in a way that weakens Lagos’ grip on national revenue.
Real restructuring means redistributing infrastructure, federal presence, and ports, which threatens the economic dominance of Lagos and the Southwest.
And let’s be clear: Any meaningful restructuring that benefits Ala Igbo will trigger an exodus of Ndi Igbo back home, which is exactly what they fear.
A Call to Strategy, Not Sentiment
Rather than chase political crumbs or defend Tinubu’s second term in the name of party loyalty, our leaders must act with generational foresight.
The North is ready to dump Tinubu and is seeking new alliances. Why aren’t we capitalizing?
A Southeast–North alliance in 2027 can produce a President or at the very least a Vice President of Igbo extraction.
The South-South already holds key positions while we clap on the sidelines.
So we ask:
What have Southeast betrayals fetched us?
Where are the traitors today?
What do we really gain from being pawns in someone else’s game?
This Is Our Moment. Let’s Not Waste It.
The Southwest has had 20 years in power.
The North remains the master of alliances.
The South-South has played its part.
Now is the time for the Southeast. Not 2039. Not 2047. Now.
Final Word to Igbo Politicians:
Either you stand with history or become a footnote in its betrayal.
Ndi Igbo, wake up. Let us strategize. Let us demand. Let us unify.
2027 must put an Igbo man in Aso Rock, either as President or Vice President.
Anything less is a self-inflicted political suicide.
