The name ‘Bulkachuwa’ is understandably not in the good books of many Nigerians especially those from the Southeastern part of the country.
However, as we look forward to yet another opportunity to change leadership in the country, political realities on ground suggests the next presidential election will be much more tense than the last two before it.
The South-East hasn’t tasted power at the very top for decades, and is seeking to end this many years of drought — even if it means doing the ‘most difficult thing’, going on its knees, at least, according to one of South-East’s prominent leaders, Chukwuemeka Ezeife.
While ‘begging’ is a strange way to go about it, considering no Nigerian is inferior to another, the situation of the Igbo people however, despite being one of Nigeria’s major ethnic nationality and also regarded as the most productive people in the country, is seriously a complicated one.“The Igbo man does not kneel down but this time, we are prepared to kneel down to every part of Nigeria, every group, every ethnic group in Nigeria, we are prepared to even prostrate because we believe in this country.””The Almighty God in heaven has agreed that come 2023, a South Easterner will take over power as president of Nigeria. But we as a people must work for it. We must work hard for it.
“We must beg the North, Northeast, Northwest, Middle Belt. We must beg the Yoruba; we must beg the South-south. We must beg all groups in Nigeria, lobbing them, beg them and if it demands kneeling down, the knees will not get stuck on the land. We want one Nigeria,” the former Anambra state governor said in a disturbing gesture he hopes could end the many years of waiting for an Igbo President.
It takes extraordinary courage to stoop this low. But why does it have to go this far? Is it an acknowledgement of weakness or inferiority? Perhaps, for all these to make sense, all we need to do is take into account a recent statement by Nigeria’s oldest serving lawmaker, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,
Alhaji Adamu Bulkachuwa”Some of them are saying they are ready to beg; but we are not saying they should kneel and beg, but do the needful by reaching out, engage people so as to build trust and confidence in people.“All the Southeast need now is confidence building, they should go across board and convince Nigerians that they are prepared.”