[Nigeria at 65] Ethnicisation of politics: The ticking time bomb

Ethnic jingoists masquerading arsenic nationalists proceed to poison the governmental abstraction and are threatening the nation’s precise existence

By Clifford Ndujihe, Politics Editor

At independency in 1960, Nigerians dreamed of a federation wherever the divers and galore taste nationalities would beryllium bonded into a beardown and almighty unit. The drawback operation was ‘unity successful diversity.’ Today, that imagination lies successful tatters, shredded by taste responsibility lines, mistrust, suspicion, scapegoating, and governmental tribalism.

For nationalists similar Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, ethnicity was an undercurrent, not a cudgel. Leaders differed, yet maintained a fragile consensus. Political identities erstwhile revolved astir ideology not origin. That epoch present feels similar an past occurrence.

In the beginning

Before independence, Lagos was a governmental melting pot. Non-natives similar Dr. Azikiwe held sway successful the city. Politics was shaped much by argumentation and show not ethnicity, and Nigeria appeared headed successful the close direction.

It was the epoch erstwhile Chief Awolowo backed Ernest Ikoli, an Ijaw, to bushed Samuel Akinsanya, a Yoruba supported by Dr Azikiwe successful the 1938 legislative assembly predetermination successful Lagos.  It was the play that Mallam Igwe Iweka, an Igbo won an predetermination into the Northern House of Assembly.  In the 1950s, Umaru Altine, a Fulani Muslim from Sokoto, was doubly elected Mayor of Enugu, a predominantly Igbo city. He wasn’t a section but helium won and was re-elected and helium served with distinction. It was a almighty awesome that competence could override people oregon religion. And Professor Eyo Ita, an Efik from Cross River was the caput of authorities concern successful the Eastern Region with office successful Enugu betwixt 1951 and May 1953.

Origins of taste politics

The Western Region situation of the 1950s, arguably, marks the opening of taste authorities successful Nigeria. In the 1951 Western House of Assembly elections, the National Council of Nigerian Citizens, NCNC, led by Dr. Azikiwe, an Igbo, had gained a foothold with 43 seats compared to 37 seats won by the Chief Awolowo-led Action Group, AG. Both Azikiwe and Awolowo won seats. While Azikiwe won from Lagos, Awolowo from Ogun.

Given the prevailing parliamentary strategy of government, the NCNC, upon inauguration of the House, was to signifier the authorities portion the AG would service arsenic opposition.

However, a time oregon 2 aft the election, the AG lobbied immoderate Yoruba members of the NCNC and different members-elect. On inauguration day, earlier officials embarked connected the exercise, 20 NCNC members and six others from the Ibadan Peoples Party, IPP cross-carpetied to the AG, shooting its members to 57 portion NCNC’s depleted to 23.  Till date, that event, surreptitiously engaged with sartorial flamboyance successful Ankara radical dressing successful solidarity, handed the AG a majority, which made it to signifier the furniture with Chief Awolowo arsenic premier portion Dr Azikiwe became the person of absorption successful Western Region.

Uncomfortable with the arrangement, Dr Azikiwe returned to the East successful 1952 wherever Eyo was caput of authorities business, an equivalent of premier. The NCNC-dominated Eastern Assembly tried to accommodate Azikiwe and asked ministers to resign. Resistance to the bid caused a crisis, and the Governor dissolved the Assembly.

A caller predetermination was held and Azikiwe won a spot for Onitsha and became a main minister. He was to go premier successful 1954. The determination upstaged Eyo Ita, causing misgivings among eastbound minorities.  Ever since, ethnicisation of authorities has been gathering momentum successful the country, and getting worse implicit time.

The 1960s ushered successful turbulence. The Western Region situation of 1962, the 1966 coups, and the Biafran War (1967–70) near heavy taste wounds. Nigeria progressively looked little similar a federation and much similar warring nationalities.

Military regimes, claiming neutrality, often deepened taste mistrust. Favouritism successful appointments and assets power entrenched resentment. When ideology returned successful 1999, the divisions remained intact and festered contempt claims and pretensions.

In April 2015, the somesthesia flared again. Oba Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos, speaking up of the governorship polls, allegedly threatened to...