How Peter Obi Betrayed Ojukwu and Entire Igbo Course for Personal Gains
Oct 1, 2017 | Ibekwe Ozuruigbo
There is no doubt that without the support of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, former Governor Peter Obi would have being like any other name anyone could have imagined, but because he acclimatised himself to the political ideologies of the late Ikemba Nnewi pretending all along that he shared Ojukwu’s beliefs, the late elder statesman adopted him as a son and subsequently handed over the Igbo mantle of power and authority to him charging him to always shine the light for the entire race.
It is on record that Ojukwu was ready to go to war to fight for the right of any oppressed Igbo man or woman in Nigeria. Ojukwu would never stand aside and watch any Igbo man or woman being denied his right as he hates oppression and injustice in any form. These were few of the beliefs Ojukwu had and demonstrated while alive. Ojukwu believed that Obi had been tutored enough to carry on the task.
That was why when the late Ikemba ran for the Office of President on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2003, he also ensured that Peter Obi got the nomination of APGA to contest the Anambra State governorship election the same year.
Expectedly, Mr. Obi won the election because of Ojukwu’s goodwill and support, but the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fraudulently snatched the victory from him.
Ojukwu never kept quite as he mobilized forces in support of Mr. Obi to engage the PDP in a legal tussle. Because of Ojukwu’s strong support, crooked Peter Obi won the legal battle and was sworn-in as Anambra State Governor on March 17, 2006.
Several times that Obi was impeached as Governor, the Ikemba Nnewi ensured that he was reinstated without delay.
When the 2007 governorship election was conducted in the state and Dr. Andy Uba was declared winner of the race, the Ikemba Nnewi mobilised and supported Peter Obi to fight for tenure completion since section 180 of the Nigerian constitution before amendment was clear on the terms of office for anybody elected as governor. For Instance, Section 180 (2) (a) of the Constitution stated: ”Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this Section, the Governor shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of four years commencing from the date when (a) in the case of a person first elected as Governor under this Constitution, he took the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office.”
With Ojukwu’s support, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Obi should be allowed to complete his four year term as Anambra State Governor. Based on this ruling, Andy Uba was removed from office on June 14, 2007 and Peter Obi was once again sworn-in as governor.
While Mr. Obi was in office, Dr. Andy Uba approached the Court praying that he should be automatically sworn-in as next Anambra State governor upon the expiration of the tenure of Mr. Obi in March 2010.
Following these developments, Sahara Reporters ran a story entiled: ”Court of Appeal poised to Crown Andy Uba governor-in-waiting.” The lead story went this way: ”Sahara Reporters has learned that barring a last-minute change of course, the Enugu based Special elections petitions Appeal Tribunal will on Thursday, November 5, 2009 shock Nigerians with a ruling to impose Emmanuel Nnamdi (Andy) Uba as the governor of Anambra State with effect from March 2010.”
But when the late Ikemba Nnewi intervened, the planned judgement was reversed as the Court dismissed the application file by Mr. Andy Uba. The Court held that there was no vacancy in the gubernatorial seat of Anambra State as at the time the said 2007 election which purportedly returned Mr. Uba as governor was conducted.
Ojukwu stood by Mr. Obi throughout the storms believing that the Peter Obi would maintain his footsteps for Anambra State and the entire Igbo nation. The Ikemba Nnewi also ensured that Mr. Obi was reelected in 2010.
That was why he publicly cried and told Ndi-Anambra to honour his last wish while alive! Ojukwu resorted to that approach when he noticed that Ndi-Anambra were going to reject Peter Obi because they have known who he really is.
After Ojukwu’s public cry, Ndi-Anambra shelved their plans and decided to give Peter Obi their vote for a second term. Ojukwu took the action because he wanted APGA to be ingrained in the heart and mind of every Igbo man as well as for the entrenchments of Ojukwu’s legacy and heritage among Igbos in Nigeria’s geopolitical matrix.
Having benefitted immensely from the Ikemba Nnewi, crooked Peter Obi betrayed Ojukwu in death as he abandoned the tasks assigned to him by the late Igbo leader.
Subsequently, Peter Obi started destroying every Ojukwu’s legacy which were the preconditions for him to be accepted in to the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
When Peter Obi finally moved to the PDP after committing genocide against Ojukwu and the Igbo course, the party rewarded him with an appointment as the Deputy Director General, PDP Presidential Campaign Council. Because of the collateral damage done to the Igbo course by Mr. Obi, the PDP subsequently rewarded him with another appointment as the Chairman, Security and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Because Governor Willie Obiano refused to join him in his genocide against Ojukwu’s course, he started fighting him and fabricating all sorts of lies against him.