Peter Obi's greatest prowess in the art and science of deception is his ability to convince his horde of mob that they are winning this elections and everyone else that think otherwise is an enemy that needs to be tuned off.
Sending Obidients on a frenzy and or on rampage threatening violence, intimidation and assault on anyone with counter opinion most especially those in the Southeast, the moment you differ from the Obedient mindset then your life is in danger because you will be seen as a threat by the vast majority that are hostile to any other opinion except the obedient philosophy of violence and intimidation rather than dialogue and negotiations.
To make matters worst even the elders, the king makers, and the traditional title holders who are suppose to be not only neutral but also all embracing because everyone in the region ought to be their child regardless of his or her political and or religious affiliation have trodden this roads of intolerance and intimidation.
No wonder when the Anambra state governor Charles Soludo came out to bear his mind against the Obidients insolence and unbecoming attitude the entire Southeast descended on him with the highest sociocultural organization the Ohaneze ndigo even dragging him before the Oracles and or Igbo traditional deities, simply because he chose to differ from a man who profess different political ideology.
If a sitting governor can be can be treated so condescendingly what would have been the faith of an ordinary citizen?
Let us not forget the fact the Soludo and obi belongs to different political parties, Soludo has his own presidential candidate which as a matter of principles and every norm, value and ethics of politics he is obliged to work for, market and present him to Nigerians in other to secure their votes for the party that brought him to power. Yet the ohaneze and the mainstream ethnography never consider this they were on top of their voices threatening thunder and storms on Soludo as to why he should attack another party's candidate just because they are both Igbos. If this is not ethno religious jingoism what else will anyone describe it?
Yet this are the same set of people who accuse everyone of hatred towards them, who blame everyone for their lapses except themselves and are hell bent on librating their people from the clutches of imaginary marginalization by the Hausa Fulani's and their supposed co conspirators the Yorubas.
These are people who wants to build a country where milk and Honey flows. But how can such be attained absent recourse to the fundamental human rights of people? You cannot claim moral superiority when you violently suppress any dissenting voices and deny people the right to make personal choices in matters affecting them.
It should be noted that not all Igbos have this mindset, there are so many reasonable Igbos who respect varied opinions and navigate with agreed principles to achieve their political goals. But the current ruling class in the Southeast need to reconsider their stands by employing ethical and democratic means in settling people and uniting their region.
They must not allow miscreants and touts to decide the future of their people, neither should they allow violence and intimidation to become a norm of achieving political goals and objectives as this will have an unintended consequences in the long run and put the region in greater risk than the one they wants to escape presently in Nigeria.
Today the Southeast has lost every sense of security, the people live in fear and no one is secured from the violence of IPOB, ESN and or UKGM all no thanks to the support of the elders,leaders and the traditional institutions to Nnamdi Kanu less than a decade ago who they religiously support because he is fighting their supposed enemy Buhari. I don't think it is wise to set your house on fire just to spite your enemies.
Who in his right mind will think and or believe that the best way to achieve political goals is by sitting at home rather than dialogue?
Recently Simon Ekpa from far away Finland declared a five day stay at home, five days for God's sake something I always is wonder, is the Southeast working for or against itself?
Traditional, religious and political leaders in the Southeast need to wake up, they need to rise to the occasions they need to play the roles of leaders and quit allowing charlatans and touts to lead them otherwise the result will be catastrophic (God forbid) on a final note I think for the first time in history Igbos need a king who will be in love with equity, Justice and fairness rather than a power hungry , ethnocentric and or religious bigot.
Mohammed Bello Doka is the Chairman C.E.O Abuja Network News.
Disclaimer: pls note that the opinions above are of the author and not of ANN.
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