By Nze Amb. Valentine Onwuka JP (Oyi)
THE IGBO QUESTION IS NOT ABOUT GEOGRAPHY, IT IS ABOUT OPPORTUNITY: ADC MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE WITH AMAECHI
In recent days, voices have emerged questioning the choice of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Their argument is simple.
They insist that if the vice-presidential slot was to be given to an Igbo man, it should have gone specifically to someone from the South East geopolitical zone.
At first glance, the argument may appear reasonable. But on closer examination, it exposes a dangerous misunderstanding of both history and the broader Igbo identity.
The first question that must be asked is this: when did being Igbo become limited by state boundaries and geopolitical classifications created by military administrators?
Long before Nigeria was divided into six geopolitical zones, the Igbo nation existed as one people. The language, culture, ancestry, traditions, and worldview that unite the Igbo people did not originate from Abuja’s political maps.
An Igbo man from Rivers State is no less Igbo than an Igbo man from Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia, or Ebonyi.
The attempt by some political actors to redefine Igbo identity according to geography is not only intellectually dishonest, it is profoundly divisive.
For decades, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has consistently demonstrated a willingness to work with and elevate Nigerians of Igbo extraction.
Indeed, no political figure has been more closely associated with Peter Obi’s rise onto the national presidential stage than Atiku himself.
In 2019, when many doubted the political value of the South East, Atiku chose Peter Obi as his running mate. He did not do so because it was politically convenient. He did so because he believed an Igbo man deserved a place at the highest table of national leadership.
That historical fact cannot be erased.
It therefore becomes curious when some people attempt to portray Atiku as hostile to Igbo aspirations simply because the current choice happens to be an Igbo son from Rivers State.
The truth is that Atiku’s commitment has never been to a particular geopolitical zone.
His commitment has been to competence, inclusion, and opportunity.
More importantly, if the conversation is to be about qualifications and leadership capacity, then Nigerians must be prepared to have an honest discussion.
Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi possesses one of the most extensive leadership profiles in contemporary Nigerian politics.
He served as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. He served as Governor of Rivers State. He chaired the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. He served as Minister of Transportation. He also directed successful presidential campaigns at the national level.
Few politicians in Nigeria today can point to such a broad range of executive, legislative, administrative, and strategic leadership experience.
This is not an attack on Peter Obi.
Peter Obi remains a respected political figure whose tenure as Governor of Anambra State earned him national recognition.
But facts remain facts.
When measured strictly by the breadth of public service experience and exposure to different levels of governance, Amaechi’s résumé is considerably wider.
That reality should not offend anyone.
Democracy works best when decisions are based on competence rather than sentiment.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the current debate is that it comes at a time when the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator Azuta Mbata, is himself from Rivers State.
The emergence of Senator Mbata as the leader of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation was widely celebrated as proof that the Igbo nation transcends artificial political boundaries.
Why then should the same people who applauded that development suddenly seek to exclude another prominent Igbo son because of his state of origin?
The contradiction is glaring.
The Igbo nation cannot preach unity and practice exclusion.
It cannot celebrate pan-Igbo identity in one breath and retreat into narrow geopolitical definitions in the next.
Nigeria’s political future requires bridge builders, not boundary builders.
The task before the ADC is to assemble a ticket capable of uniting Nigerians and providing competent leadership in difficult times.
That objective should not be sacrificed on the altar of sectional calculations.
The real question is not whether Amaechi comes from Rivers State.
The real question is whether he is qualified.
His record provides the answer.
For the Igbo nation, this moment should be an opportunity to affirm a timeless truth: our identity is larger than state boundaries, larger than political zones, and larger than temporary partisan interests.
An Igbo man is an Igbo man.
And opportunity given to one is a statement of possibility for all.
Nze Amb. Valentine Onwuka JP (Oyi)
oyinaoyi2@gmail.com
