From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
As preparations for the 2023 general election and debate on which zone will produce the next President gather momentum, the need to reinvigorate the political relation between the Igbo and Hausa has been raised.
At a recent encounter between elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai and former Chief Judge of Anambra state and Professor of Law at University of Nigeria Enugu Campus (UNEC), Prof. Peter Umeadi in Kano, the said deep-rooted relationship between the North and South East was remembered and canvassed for the unity of the country.
Umeadi who is also a presidential aspirant of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), had visited the elder statesman in his Kawaji Quaters, Kano home, shortly after attending the 53rd Nigeria Association of Law Teachers (NALT) Conference held at Bayero University Kano, to formally announce his quest to seek the ticket of APGA to contest the February 2023 presidential election.
He was accompanied on the visit by APGA Chairman Kano State, Alhaji Sukairaju Tijjani; Eze Ndi Igbo Kano, Igwe lkechukwu Akpudo and members of his cabinet, Chief Sunny Okafor, President Ohaneze Ndigbo Kano and Hassan Samegu.
Umeadi had told the revered elder statesman that he had visited him concerning the two volume autobiography written by the elder statesman and to inform him of his ambition to contest for the presidential ticket of APGA for next year’s general election.
Yakasai who was elated by the visit had gifted him five copies of his autobiography, “The Story of a Humble Life”, in two volumes both of 1014 pages, said books would show that determination determines everything and went back to history and need for political outreach to encourage Prof. Umeadi in his presidential bid.
Recalling with nostalgia, what he called cordial relationship that existed between the people of the South East and the North before independence, Yakasai said there was need to rekindle such and commended Umeadi for taking the lead in the needed reunification.
He said, “I am glad that you came here, you went to BUK, did what you did there and from there you came straight to my house. You are really reasserting my relationship with the people from the South East. I was the National Publicity Secretary of the Northern Elders Progressive Union (NEPU) during the First Republic. NEPU right from the day it was formed was in alliance with National Council of Nigeria at that time and Cameroun but later on of Nigerian Citizen, NCNC, led by the doyen of Nigerian politics, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. What you did today by holding a very important event in Kano and made this visit to me, you are reasserting that relationship between Kano people, my humble self and Igbo people in Nigeria.
“I have so many personal friends among Igbo people right from before independence. We fought for independence together for this country and among my Igbo friends, there is only one alive today and that is Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, the “Boy is Good.” Among them were very prominent men but they are no more, one of them was Chief RBK Okafor, he was a federal minister and also the right hand man of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.”
Insisting that founding fathers of the country fought together and got victory he said that “The first government formed in Nigeria by Nigeria before independence was formed by Sir Abubakar Tafawa Belewa who received the instrument of independence of Nigeria from the representative of Her Majesty, the Queen on behalf of Nigeria. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Belewa was the Prime Minister of Nigeria and at that time Chief Nwafor Orizu from Anambra too was the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And the NCNC which was led by late Herbert Macaulay concretized the relationship, not only between the South and the North but also between the Igbo and the Hausa in Nigeria. What you are doing now is that you are reaffirming that relationship.”
Further commending Umeadi, Yakasai said to him, “On behalf of the people of Kano and my colleagues those of them alive, I want to thank you for keeping the torch of Nigerian unity alive. Before independence, soon after independence and today, Igbo community constitute the largest number of non-indigene people in Kano. We have the largest number of Igbo more than any city, the next to us is Lagos. So we have been working together for the greatness of this country.
“So APGA which now is the alphabet A, the beginning of the word was formed during the Second Republic but the first one was the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA). It is the party that committed itself not only to the progress of this country but also to the unity of it. NEPU was committed to unity of Nigeria, in fact the two most prominent politicians in Northern Nigeria were Sa’adu Zungur of blessed memory and Aminu Kano. Aminu Kano was a disciple of Sa’adu Zungur. Sa’adu Zungur in Bauchi and represented the religious leadership in Bauchi. He was mentor of Mallam Aminu Kano, and was the only northerner that became the National Secretary of NCNC and that was around 1949 or there about. So the relationship is deep rooted, I like that you are going round to revive this relationship; to make our children keep that issue in their mind that they will work with whoever for the unity of this country.
“The problem with Nigerian politicians is that of people coming into politics to make money, originally it was not like that. What you are doing is, you are reinstating what we started but unfortunately we were not able to complete the assignment but we pass the baton on to you.
“About your ambition, I am glad that you are now coming out from Igboland, to seek the presidency of Nigeria where votes will give power to whoever will be in power. Coming around to Kano, and the North is very good and you have taken a very important decision because like you know Nigeria at present has over 100 million people, out of that number right from the day of the first population census, the North has 55 per cent and the South 45 per cent. But according to our constitution nobody can become the President of Nigeria without getting 25 per cent votes from two-third of the 36 states of Nigeria. The North cannot give anybody president because we do not have 25 states, we only have 19 states, but you can get 19 here and get your six states in the South, the presidency is yours.
“The way you come to Kano take time to go round other states in the North because if you can bring them together is for your own good. You have what it takes to get the presidency of Nigeria. I want to say that I commend you and I recommend you to all Nigerian voters. You talk of national unity; if we are not united we cannot achieve anything. English people said, united we stand, divided we fall, so unity is the most important. To get unity you must go round for people to know you and for you to know all. Your people know you very well but try to go round all the 19 states in the North, even if is one day each, that the people will know you and know that you have visited them and they will lend you their support. I wish you every success in this endeavour.”
Giving Umeadi his book Yakasai said, “I decided to give you five set of the book so that you take whatever number out of the five and give the rest to whoever you choose, the idea is to show to the people that determination is what determines success. As you see me I started as a tailor, I have never been to any formal school, primary, secondary, university or whatsoever. This English I am speaking I learnt it in my father’s house but with determination I was able to write this book of 1014 pages on my own. So anybody who is determined, most of the people, most of the leaders who made name, who succeed in life even the most hated person Hitler, was Mr. nobody, Churchill was Mr. nobody, most of the leaders were nobody but through their effort, they were able to become world leaders in their own rights. I thank you for coming and for the publications, I will read them and I will convey the messages that are contained in them to my people in the North. I wish you success,” he concluded.