TACTICAL MARGINALISATION - Igbos demands immediate action

By Charles Ifeanyi Obi 

anambra.arise@gmail.com 

Nigeria is a Federal Republic composed of 36 states and a capital territory, with an elected president and a Bi-cameral Legislature. It operates the presidential system of government with the three distinct but complimentary arms namely, the Executives, the Legislative and the Judiciary, each acting as check on the other. The federal legislature comprising a 109 - member senate and a 360-member House of Representatives is known as the National Assembly (the equivalent of the American Congress). They enact laws and represent the interest of  their constituencies (the people who elected them) as well as acting upon the policies of the executive (presidency) in line with the views of the people they represent. 

Nigeria, a multi-ethnic country having Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba as the three major ethnic groups is also divided into six geopolitical zones in the following compositions:

North East
The north Eastern Nigeria is made up of majorly the Kanuri.
The North Eastern part of Nigeria is made up of six states which includes
Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno state, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe State.

North West
The North Western Nigeria is made up of Hausa Fulani ethnic group.
The North Western Nigeria is also made up of six states viz Jigawa State, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara

North Central
The North Central part of Nigeria is made up of Tiv ethnic group. It has the largest number of states. There are seven states in the North Central they are Benue, Niger, Kastina, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa and Plateau

South East
The South Eastern Nigeria is made up of Igbos and has the least number of states. The south eastern states are Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo State.

South West
The South Western part of Nigeria is made up of six states. The zone is dominated by Yoruba Tribes. The states that make up the South Western Nigeria are Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo State.

South South
The South South part of Nigeria is made up of majorly the ijaw ethnic group. There are six states that make up the South South zone of Nigeria they are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa,Cross River, Delta, Edo and River State

However, from  the above analysis, the North Central has the highest number of states (seven states) followed by North East, North West, South West and South South with six states each, then the South East taking least with only five states. These states divided into three senatorial zones each produces three senators each making the 109 senators with the inclusion of one senator from the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). 

Very worrisomely, in a highly influential senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (very influential in policy formulation, employment and resource management), the South East only have fifteen(15)  senators out of the one hundred and nine(109) senators and a minority amongst other geopolitical zones in the country. Consequently, the South East has the least impact in national policies and the least beneficiaries of the  dividends therewith. The South East is logically the most adversely affected zone yet a highly populated and productive region notwithstanding the challenges. 

Very regrettably, the South East is currently having fourteen instead of the fifteen senators in the 8th senate assembly, an anarchy for a people already harboring feelings of marginalisation and inequity amongst other zones in Nigeria; the Anambra Central Senatorial election nullified along side some other senatorial elections of 2015 is  yet to be conducted while the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) has successfully conducted and provided senators for other zones with similar predicaments. 

The lack of a senator for Anambra Central and the further reduction of the minority (15 states) South East to fourteen can be justifiably likened to a TACTICAL MARGINALISATION of the people of the South Eastern Nigeria. It may therefore (if unchecked) justify the people's perception on marginalisation and injustices meted against the  Igbos in Nigeria. 

IN CONCLUSION,   I loudly and heartily join my voice to the thousands of the constituents of Anambra Central as well as millions of ndị - Igbo in calling on the INEC boss Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and the management of the commission to without further delay and in their intelligence act in accordance with the February 10th Supreme Court judgment which upheld the 7th December (2015) judgment of the Appeal Court ordering a rerun election within 90 days (5th March 2016). The people's patience are no  longer guaranteed, the commission aught to conclude issues of outstanding elections before going  into any other. A stitch in time (they say)  saves nine... Conducting the Anambra Central senatorial election would yield the people's confidence for the commission ahead of coming elections in the state and beyond. 

Long Live the Independent National Election Commission 

Long Live the Anambra Central Senatorial zone

Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria 

#OneVoiceAnambraCentral 

#Justice4AnambraCentral