[OPINION] “Election” Or “No Election”: Another Looming “Coup D’etat” And Civil War!”

By Nathaniel I. Ndiokwere

Biafrans! igbos! Nigerians, if you care to listen and reflect, read “signs of the time”  you should not cease to pray “repent and believe the good news of salvation!”

“The Harbinger of Death!

You don’t, you can’t find the story in any History book but in unreliable records in pamphlets and social news media.  The most feared, troublesome  “ singing bird” is in the air and when people of old heard the bird’s music they trembled with fear!  Harbinger of evil! “HARBINGER” is something that foreshadows a future event; something that gives anticipatory sign of  what is to come. Grand parents confirmed imminent danger, usually the death of a big person in the community. Most grand parents never doubted the singing bird’s warning of imminent disaster.

Please listen! Salvation shall NOT come from “Election” or “No Election”. It is the same old rustic, unpleasant music; same old  fake news and fraud, the first manifestation of deadly evil that became part of a failed nation, Nigeria. More than 50 not much has change; rather the situation is getting worse . imagine ! Only between the months of May and October more than 3 million Nigerian youths have left their fatherland in search of greener pastures in near-and-far-away land!

Do you remember the beginnings of the mayhem (needless or willful damage or violence)? It was “Election or No election”, “Rigged” and “Not-Rigged” , “North” and “South” “North and West”, “North and East” dichotomies and politics that began the endless story of  Nigerian tragedy, right from the Amalgamation story, right from 1953, right from Western Nigeria political nightmare and the  formation of the evil “Limited Companies”, they called “Political Parties” - NCNC, AG, NPC. They later changed names of their “”Companies”  to NPN, NPP, UPN, ACN, APGA and what more!  The number of “political parties continued to grow as more leaders continued to  appear  and form their own new  companies (registered or not).

How qualified were/are  the ‘Company directors and managers?” and the ‘political adventurers” who seek for political and leadership positions and offices in the federal republic of Nigeria   – presidential,gubernatorial,  senatorial,  representation  and others? No one cared to know!  As of  October 2017 there were more than forty (40) “Political adventurers” in Anambra state alone struggling to win the leadership of any of the three known  political parties they have adhered to! Wow! In Nigeria everyone wants to become a KING, and to win, rule, and conquer,  but no one  wants to ‘follow or be directed!”

WESTERN NIGERIAN POLITICAL CRISIS: END OF THE FIRST  REPUBLIC : It began in Western Region – Yorubaland

It  sounded like ‘fairy tales’ how the ‘play’ developed to a serious crisis in the late 1950s and early 1960s and the  key players were, Nnamdi Azikiwe , (Zik of Africa and Nigerian president 1963-1966), Tafawa Balewa (Nigerian first Prime minister)  Akintola(Premier of Western region, 1959-1966) Michael Okpara (Premier of Eastern region), Dennis  Osadebey (Premier of Mid-western region and   Awolowo (Today’s NNAMDI KANU), first premier of Western region (1954 – 1960) and the Leader of opposition, hated by the North and a torn  in the fresh of the Cabal. Awolowo/Akintola-warfare led to Nigeria first coup and civil war. Akintola’s disagreements with the intransigent Awolowo on the issues of political alliances with the North was at  the heart of the political crisis!

This is the summary of all we have been told and read from newspapers those days. It is necessary that we highlight some parts of the story to help everyone reading my script to capture well the message we are already delivering!  In the month May,1962,  the Western House of Assembly was set to remove Chief Akintola after the party had earlier passed a vote of no confidence on the premier in a party meeting. Crisis erupted on the floor of the house. We know how the scenario looks like when lawmakers disagree. The majority expelled Chief Akintola from the party. The then Governor of the Western Region, the Ooni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Aderemi demanded Chief Akintola’s resignation as Premier and named Alhaji Dauda Adegbenro as his successor. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa led federal government intervened to curb the violence by imposing a state of emergency and appointed Dr Moses Majekodunmi (the Federal Minister of Health) as Administrator (interim premier of the Western region) on the 29th of June 1962. This became the first imposition of a state of emergency in Nigeria’s history due to heightened levels of violence.

Following an alliance between Akintola and Ahmadu Bello, Akintola was returned to power on the 31st of December 1962.

By 1963, the plot between Chief Akintola, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello was perfected and Chief Obafemi Awolowo was arrested for coup plotting/treason. His trial commenced in earnest and he was alongside some accomplices convicted for treason and jailed for 10 years. This again was the first alleged coup plotting and conviction in Nigerian history.

Intent on totally decimating Chief Awolowo, Chief Akintola together with his Deputy Premier Remi Fani Kayode "Fani-Power" formed a new party, National Democratic Party – NNDP and went into a political alliance with Prime minister Tafawa Balewa's Northern People's Congress (NPC) and new political party known as the Nigerian National Alliance (NNA) was formed

Dr Nnamidi Azikiwe led NCNC teamed up with incarcerated Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group (AG), the Northern Progressive Front (NPF), the Kano People's Party (KPP), the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) and the Zamfara Commoners Party (ZCP), to form the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA). As the Independence Day, October 1, 1960, approached all we, students were hearing during campaigns were about the political parties called  NPC and UPGA!

In 1964, federal elections became due. Ethnic chauvinism, intimidation and violence became  part of the frenzied campaigning. Chief Remi Fani Kayode and Chief Akintola’s campaign was almost entirely based on tribalism. When the elections were finally held, the result was a victory for the Northern People's Congress (NPC).

“Vote” or “No Vote” – “We will win” (Remi Fani-Kayode)

The evil election rigging did not start today! I remember in 2011 elections how Nigerian can waste billions of naira in the name DEMOCRATIC , FREE and FARE elections can be! Security offers at one polling station were guarding about 40 electoral boxes till late in the night. Who would convince the custodians that the election results had been announced at the INEC headquarters!

 Indeed Deputy Premier Remi Fani Kayode had famously boasted that there was nothing their enemies could do, whether they voted for their party or not, they, NPC/NNDP must win.  This statement turned out to be true as massive rigging was orchestrated in the elections. Once again this became the first pioneering act of election rigging by indigenous actors in Nigeria’s history. The announcement of the rigged election results quickly sparked off unprecedented acts of thuggery, violence, arson, mass murders and general acts of lawlessness in the Western region.

Following the crisis, Dr Nnamidi Azikiwe requested the military GOC to intervene and reorganize the elections in the Western region to avoid catastrophe, but the military high command refused and Dr Azikiwe was briefly held in house arrest for making such a request. Without any resolution and with Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello as fellow conspirators with Chief Akintola and Chief Remi Fani Kayode in the massive election heist, nothing was done to curtail the violence which gradually intensified. Daily mass murders and arson became routine in the Western region

In the midst of the constitutional crisis the elections to the Western House of Assembly were conducted on 11 October 1965. The decline in constitutionalism and disorder accelerated with this election. Ironically no state of emergency was declared; instead the Federal government sent security forces to support the victory of Chief Akintola and Chief Remi Fani Kayode's NNDP. The violence and lawlessness in the Western region was to continue from 1964 until 1966. It was under these conditions that a section of the military finally struck and overthrew the government on 15 January 1966.

First Nigeria Coup D’etat

As a result of the 15 January (1966) military coup, which again was Nigeria's first military coup, key government officials and senior military figures including Alhaji Ahmadu Bello (the Premier of the Northern Region), Sir Tafawa Balewa (the Prime Minister), Chief Okotie-Eboh (the Minister of Finance), General Maimalari (the Chief of Army Staff), Brigadier Ademulegun(Commander of the Northern Garrison) Chief Ladoke Akintola (Premier of Western Region) and so many others were killed.

Nigerians, when will you begin to think?

Nigeria’s tragedy started with elections and parties? Have you forgotten, fellow elders? Our ebullient and most oppressed youths, have you stopped to ask your parents and grandparents? When will you grow, you FUTURE LEADERS! When we are gone, where will you be? Not an easy question. But you need to think! And as foolish as we are, we have continued to follow them today and again!
AWOLOWO AND NNAMDI KANU

Their vision of Nigeria is the same! There was nothing ‘abominable’ Awolowo did not say about Nigeria, right from birth, right from amalgamation. You must have read or heard about them. Nigeria, a zoo, jungle, impossible union with Hausa-Fulani. There was nothing monstrous Awolowo did not say about Tafawa Balewa government, while he, Awolowo was on a visit in London. They appeared in many Nigerian newspapers, including Daily Times. I heard the news direct from BBC World Service. It so angered the gently and ‘saintly’ Tafawa Balewa, that he, the prime minister was forced to break his silence! He was quoted as saying to Awolowo: “Enough of you now! Shut up and return home!” He vowed to deal with Awolowo. And Awolowo was accused of treasonable felony and jailed for ten years.

Nnamdi Kanu, did not only dismiss BUHARI as an impossible leader of Nigeria, and did  not even care for any dialogue with the head of state over the self-determination of Biafra state. But Buhari’s anger and frustrations with Kanu led him to  the extreme thoughts of ‘capturing Kanu, dead or alive! (See “Operation Python Dance”). As for Awolowo,  it was alleged that part of his own people, the Yorubas he had been ‘leading’, later turned their backs to Awolowo and took sides with the federal government.

What had the Eastern governors not done to Nnamdi Kanu. These traitors were the first to proscribe IPOB “as a terrorist organization,” simply to safeguard their political power with the Northern cabals! But if election would mean anything in Africa in general, BIAFRA nation will device a meaningful, even primitive, but most suitable electoral system for Biafrans.

EAST-OBIATO-APC/PDP VIS-À-VIS WEST-AKINTOLA-APC/ NNDP!

Where has the present regional crisis of the present times begun? Surely Eastern region, precisely, Anambra. Anambra elections or the upcoming  subsequent elections, have enough troubling moments for NDIGBO and IGBOLAND! Where is the place of rigging by the federal electoral agency named INEC? Are those in Power addressing the Problems of IPOB, MASSOB, BIM, AVENGERS AREWA, ODUDUWA and so many  youth problems?

Leaders not addressing any serious issues

Barely two years after independence from Britain “leadership war” broke out in the West. Key players, Akintola, Awolowo, Yoruba youths, some for Akintola, others for Awolowo , Tafawa Balewa. At the heat of the 1962 crisis,  Balewa declared ‘state of emergency! Matter settled in favor of Akintola and Balewa, but no peace! 1965/66, the western troublesome region started boiling again and became very nasty. No state of emergency, but perhaps coup d’etat and then civil war!

CONCLUSION

There is trouble in the Eastern region, referred to as ANAMBRA STATE. No state of emergency by BUHARI, but “PYTHON DANCE” during which hundreds of Igbo youths were slaughtered by federal troops!  The president was not interested in settling the IPOB problem and the very important case of RESTRUCTURING. The house is burning and the leaders are chasing rats!

BUHARI is campaigning for second tenure. If he wins that will be the final end to CORRUPTION (the second war on corruption), another fellow from the Northern Cabal may emerge a possible presidential candidate.   He doesn’t like to hear the word BIAFRA. They call him ER-LUFAI. He has started touring Eastern region, paying homage to Igbo traditional leaders!! Then another crook from the North is campaigning for the presidency. He might be the next messiah! They call him AKUTI ABUBAKAR. Then another lawmaker has eye on the presidency. They call him SAKARI! Wonders will never end, believe me, and such dramas play out well “Only in Nigrrua!”

But the original candidate from Imo state, the one that had been appointed by Allah to be the first IGBO PRESIDENT, Come 2019, doesn’t seem to be interested again! Who knows why?  But he seems to be occupied with another ridiculous political and economic project , new vision for the final redemption of NDIGBO, liberation from poverty and underdevelopment! He is busy erecting STATUES of foreign heads of state and imo youths and traditional leaders are jubilating!

But for me there should be no cause for alarm. Nigerians and Imolites are used to expensive funny jokes and dramas. Rochas OKOROCHA is not as crazy as IKEDI OHAKIM, when it comes to reckless expenditure on useless projects! During his own reign didn’t IKEDI OHAKIM build or raise or instal his BILLBOARDS at each quarter kilometer of the roads throughout Imo state! But behold when the local coup d’etat happened all the billboards were knocked down by angry youths in a mater of minutes and seconds.

Now the weird trumpet-sounds are being heard as vultures are hovering over the house of Yahweh!  Wow! Who will begin this Second World War in Nigeria and where? Surely it will begin in the East, somewhere called Anambra! Who will replace the  AKINTOLA? No doubt someone called OBIATO, What of AWOLOWO? Perhaps NNAMDI KANU (accused of treasonable felony and his party  IPOB proscribed as ‘terrorist organization’) He may be languishing in prison and will be released after the coup, just before the second civil war begins! No one can be sure of the side he will join or support. Do you know what ? There is something in name, Igbo people insist;   “History will NEVER stop repeating itself.”
AREWA YOUTHS have made their intentions clear: “Any northern lawmaker that mentions RESTRUCTURING will pat with his head! Expel IGBOS from Nigeria! For IPOB “BIAFRA or DEATH!” For the civil war, “Who and who will fight?  Can the Coup and Civil war be averted ? That’s why you should now pray before it is late

PSALM 85
OUR SALVATION IS NEAR

O Lord, you once favored your land *
and revived the fortunes of Jacob,
you forgave the guilt of your people *
and covered all their sins.
You averted all your rage, *
you calmed the heat of your anger.

REVIVE US NOW, GOD, OUR HELPER! *
PUT AN END TO YOUR GRIEVANCE AGAINST US.
WILL YOU BE ANGRY WITH US FOR EVER, *
WILL YOUR ANGER NEVER CEASE?

WILL YOU NOT RESTORE AGAIN OUR LIFE *
THAT YOUR PEOPLE MAY REJOICE IN YOU?
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy *
and give us your saving help.

I will hear what the Lord God has to say, *
a voice that speaks of PEACE,
PEACE for his people and his friends *
and those who turn to him in their hearts.
His help is near for those who fear him *
and his glory will dwell in our land.

Mercy and faithfulness have met; *
JUSTICE AND PEACE HAVE EMBRACED.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth *
and JUSTICE look down from heaven.

The Lord will make us prosper *
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
JUSTICE SHALL MARCH BEFORE HIM *
AND PEACE SHALL FOLLOW HIS STEPS.

(Continue please)

SHOW US YOUR MERCY, LORD; OUR MISERY IS KNOWN TO US. MAY NO EVIL DESIRES PREVAIL OVER US, FOR YOUR GLORY AND LOVE DWELL IN OUR HEARTS.

(In conclusion ask HIM) :

“Lord,  have you forgiven the sins of your people? My soul has yearned for you in the night, and as morning breaks I watch for your reaction! Forgiveness and hope!”