The one common denominator characterizing agitation for secession from Nigeria by one ethnic nationality or the other is nothing but a struggle for federal power or controlling authority at the center of the nation by each of these major units that constitute Nigeria as a polity. Once this is achieved by the agitating unit, the agitation is summarily halted, and we wouldn't hear anything about it anymore until power eludes the unit concerned for an appreciable period of time. I'll explain...
History shows that the North was the very first unit to clamor for secession in this country. During the debate on the possibility of Nigeria gaining independence in 1957 as moved by Tony Enahoro of Action Group Party, the representatives of Northern Nigeria said the region was not ripe or ready for the independence in 1957. What followed this were derisive abuses, bitter scorns, and toxic invectives rained on northern leaders by Lagos miscreants. This resulted in northern political leaders angrily storming out of Lagos and returned by train to Kaduna, where in the heat of the anger, they sat down and formulated an 8-point agenda, the adoption of which they gave as the only condition that would make the North to have anything to do with Nigeria. The summary of that agenda was making a confederation of this nation, as against a federal republic. And that was to serve as a precursor for eventual break up of the country into as many ethnic nationalities as possible. I don't know why Obasanjo is so much afraid of history. Such an illuminating eye-opening discipline. And he ordered its removal from our academic curriculum. So sad !
It took their counterparts from other parts of the country to be able to appeace the northern leaders to bury the hatchet and let's move together as one nation into independence. But as I said, the underpinning factor responsible for the northern opposition to our independence in 1957 was a shrewd political calculation for Nigeria's leadership. Bello and his team had reasoned that securing independence in 1957 would make the north a junior partner in the union. This was contrary to his belief that the emerging new country should be nothing other than an extension of the Caliphate. So, to Bello, it would be absurd to have a non scion of the Caliphate to rule over the country and thus make the Caliphate play a second fiddle in a country that was programmed to be an extension of the Caliphate. That was the basis of northern rejection of 1957 date for Nigeria independence.
Far more than the politicians of other sections of Nigeria, the northern political elites are so seasoned in devious political intrigues, maneuvering, and manipulations. They know from the onset that the seat of power is where authority and command radiate and flow to other segments of the polity. So, all their scheming and energy were Channeled towards securing that seat, in order to enable them to lead Nigeria into independence and henceforth tenaciously hold on to the soul of the nation in their grips. And they succeeded in achieving this cardinal objective. So, as we could see, that anger induced northern 8-point agenda of centrifugal consequences was motivated by an eye of Northern leaders at the seat of federal power and nothing more. Nothing validates this assertion more than the fact that nobody talks of such a divisive agenda anymore, as soon as power got into the grips of the north till today. The agenda summarily fizzled away into thin air.
One of the main factors for agitation of Biafra, but which many historians tend to play down in their chronicles, was the animosity that resulted from replacing Ironsi with Gowon, who was not the most senior military officer at the time. Ojukwu rejected the choice of Gowon over his seniors. Apart from this, not a few Igbo military officers saw the northern regicidal removal of Ironsi as a brinkmanship displacement of Igbos from the political equation of Nigeria. So, again, we could see that Biafran agitation was hinged largely on struggle for federal power by the Igbos. This struggle has been rekindled and sustained until today by reason of this same factor. Nothing validates this view better than the fact that Igbo electorates have always demonstrated their cravings for federal power at the polls during all presidential elections, in an overwhelming geometric expression that tends to defy logic. I can safely project that Biafran agitation will die a natural death on the very day a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction takes office in this country. I swear !
The foregoing proposition also applies to what some of our people in the southwest called the Yoruba nation, in their recent clamor for secession of the yorubas from Nigeria. It was all ignited and hinged on the yorubas' eye for federal power. Or who has ever heard of such clamor since President Tinubu took office? The last of it that reared its head recently in Ibadan was swiftly crushed to extinction. Nobody will hear anything like yoruba nation anymore, till power slips from a yoruba man for an appreciable length of time, and the yorubas are again hungry for it. Let's watch it.
So, in consideration of the foregoing consistent factor that has been resonating throughout our political trajectory in Nigeria, the current floating of Republic of Arewa by some faceless agitators, is informed by nothing other than the craving for return of power to the north. But the question is this. Is it not rather too early for the north to be this fermished for power? I think so.
Written by name remains Dauda Adesina Joki-Lasisi esq.
Jokijoki2001@yahoo.com