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Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Why Awolowo picked an Igbo man as running mate in 1979 presidential election

By Rasheed Audu, 19th October, 2025

Credit: Ethnic African Stories

Chief Obafemi Awolowo
Chief Obafemi Awolowo's running mate in Nigeria's 1979 presidential elections was Chief Philip
Umeadi, an Igbo man from Anambra State.
Umeadi was a senior lawyer and politician from the old Anambra State, and his pairing with Awolowo (a Yoruba leader) was seen as an attempt to foster Yoruba–Igbo political cooperation under the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

In an interview with Vanguard in 2010, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, who was 35 when he became the Director of Organisation of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), narrated how Awolowo settled for Umeadi. Read it below:
"Did you know that Papa Awolowo contacted some of his trusted friends in the North, requesting that one of them should come and be his running-mate but they turned him down? They rejected, especially those from the Hausa-Fulani clan.

One of them who was Papa’s good friend, Papa Yahaya Gusau, he told Awolowo that it would be meaningless for him to come and be a running-mate because people are not going to vote for us. Papa (Awolowo) also contacted the late Ibrahim Tahir and Tahir said it was going to be difficult for him to team up with Papa. Papa then moved to the Middle-Belt states.
He said he would love to pick one Chia Suma. But our UPN colleagues in the Middle-Belt states then advised Papa that if you pick Chia Suma, you would only be appealing to the Tiv people and for every 30 or so miles in the Middle-Belt region, you meet a completely new tribe with different tongues so that choice was never going to achieve anything.

Papa then had to settle for the late Chief Philip Umeadi from Anambra State and said ‘if you guys won’t team up with me, then I can pick any other person from the South’ and when he picked Umeadi, people came up again to say he made a mistake by picking an Ibo man but the reality was that that was what the circumstances demanded.
Having said that, you have been part of the system for a while now, when politicians turn down the offer of being a running-mate to another person not because he is not offering a good platform or a good agenda for progress and change but because there is the feeling that he is not of the establishment, what does that say of our nation and its politics?

It’s a very terr!ble thing, very dangerøus and I tell you we have been fighting against it. Awolowo used his position in AG and UPN to prove a point. There was a time in this country that some tendencies were very pervasive and those tendencies appear to be creeping back today.
There was a time in this country when a group of people in the North, a cabal, believed that Nigeria was merely an extension of their private family compound and if you did not belong to them then you cannot make progress.
There was also a time in this country that being in the Army and not being able to speak the Hausa language was a waste of time, the same thing goes for promotion. There was a time in this country that to register a company and do business, you needed to put the name of a northerner as your chairman or a strong member of the board because they believed that the South could always be used. That is not wiped off yet, but we are now seeing semblances of the ugly past."
Credit: Ethnic African Stories
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THE IGBO RANT

I am an Igbo, I was born an Igbo, I live the life of an Igbo, I come from Igbo, I speak Igbo, I like to be Igbo, I like to dress in Igbo, I eat Igbo food, my heritage, culture and tradition is Igbo, my parents are Igbo.

Am sorry I cannot help it if you hate my lineage. Am sorry I cannot help it if you detest Igbo, am sorry I cannot help it if you hate me because am Igbo. Igbo is who I am, my name is Igbo and I must die an Igbo.

You see Igbo as a threat, why? You call Igbo rapist, criminals, ritualist, prostitutes, kidnappers. You attribute all negative vices to represent Igbo? Why do you do that? You do because you feel threatened that Igbo might outrun the rest of the tribes. Why do you hate Igbo and despise us? You do that because we are creative, enlightened, hardworking, industrious, genius, intelligent, smart, rich, beautiful and amazing. But its difficult for you to admit it because you feel jealous of my race.

Igbo do not own politics, Igbo do not control the economy neither do we control the natural resources and the common wealth of the nation. You do, we don't and yet, despite the fact that you own everything, we still remain one indispensable race that has outshined the other race in all ramifications.

You fear us because you want to exterminate and annihilate our race, you deny us many things and yet we are stronger, richer and mightier. You fear us because we are everywhere. You fear us because no matter how rural a place might be, when Igbo steps in, they turn it into a Paradise. We have our own resources, which lies in resourcefulness, we do not bother you and your control over the polity, but yet when we cough you and the other race begin to shiver.

Am proud being an Igbo, am proud of my heritage and culture. Igbo means high class, Igbo means independence, Igbo means hard work and strength, Igbo means riches, Igbo means resourcefulness, Igbo means self belonging, Igbo means self esteem, Igbo means pride, Igbo means swag.

Udo diri unu umunnem.
# IgboAmaka
# AnyiBuNdiMmeri

Michael Ezeaka
------------------------------

This is beautiful poetry ...

In response to Alaba Ajibola, the Babcock Lecturer Hate Speech against Igbos.

BIBLICAL TRADITIONS OF NDI IGBO BEFORE THE MISSIONARIES CAME TO AFRICA* IGBO 101.

1. NSÓ NWANYĮ
In Igboland women live apart from their husbands and neither cook for them nor enter their husband's quarters when they are in their period. They are seen as unclean. Even up till today such practice is still applicable in some parts of Igboland especially by the traditionalists. Before a woman can enter the palace of Obi of Onitsha, she will be asked if she is in her period, if yes, she will be asked to stay out.

Leviticus 15: 19-20
When a woman has her monthly period, she remains unclean, anyone who touches her or anything she has sat on becomes unclean.

2. ANA OBI
An Igbo man's ancestral heritage, called “Ana Obi” is not sellable, elders will not permit this. If this is somehow done due to the influence of the West the person is considered a fool and is ostracized by the community.

1 Kings 21:3
I inherited this vineyard from my ancestors, and the Lord forbid that I should sell it, said Naboth.

3. IKUCHI NWANYĮ
Igbos have practiced the taking of a late brother's wife into marriage after she had been widowed until the white men came. Now it is rarely done but except in very rural villages.

Deuteronomy 25:5
A widow of a dead man is not to be married outside the family; it is the duty of the dead man's brother to marry her.

4. ĮGBA ODIBO
In Igboland, there is a unique form of apprenticeship in which either a male family member or a community member will spend six (6) years (usually in their teens to their adulthood) working for another family. And on the seventh year, the head of the host household, who is usually the older man who brought the apprentice into his household, will establish (Igbo: idu uno) the apprentice
by either setting up a business for him or giving money or tools by which to make a living.

Exodus 21:2
If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years. In the seventh year he is to be set free without having to pay you anything.

5. IRI JI OFŲŲ
In Igboland , the yam is very important as it is their staple crop. There are celebrations such as the New yam festival (Igbo: Iri Ji) which are held for the harvesting of the yam. New Yam festival (Igbo: Iri ji) is celebrated annually to secure a good harvest of the staple crop. In the olden days it is an abomination for one to eat a new harvest before the festival. It's a tradition that you give the gods of the land first as a thanksgiving.

Deuteronomy 16:9
Count 7 weeks from the time that you begin to harvest the crops, and celebrate the harvest festival to honor the lord your God, by bringing him a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing he has given you. Celebrate in the Lord's presence together with your children, servants, foreigners. Be sure that you obey my command, said the Lord.

6. IBE UGWU
In Igboland it's a tradition that the male children are circumcised on the 8th day. This tradition is still practiced till date.

Leviticus 12:3
On the eighth day, the child shall be circumcised.

7. ÓMŲGWÓ
In Igboland, there is a practice known as "ile omugwo ". After a woman has given birth to a child, a very close and experienced relative of hers, in most cases her mother is required by tradition to come spend time with her and her husband. During which she is to do all the work of the wife, while the new mom's only assignment to the baby will be to breastfeed. This goes on for a month or more. In the Igbo old tradition, at this time, the new mom lives apart from her husband, would not cook or enter his quarters.

Leviticus 12:1-4
For seven days after a woman gives birth, she is ritually unclean as she is during her monthly period. It will be 33 days until she is ritually clean from the loss of blood; she is not to touch anything that is holy.

THE IGBO TRIBE AND ITS FEAR OF EXTINCTION

The Igbo tribe is in a serious problem and danger of extinction for the following reasons:

50% of Igbos are born outside Igbo land. Meaning that those children are not likely to live and work in Igbo land and cannot speak Igbo language but foreign language (Yoruba, Hausa, French, English).

40% of Igbos girls between the age of 25 & 45 are single with no hope of marriage because 35% of Igbo boys live overseas and they have all married white ladies.

75% of Igbo youths leave Igbo land every year in search of opportunities in Yoruba, Hausa land or overseas.

85 % of Igbos have family houses and own investments outside Igbo land. They strongly believe in one Nigeria but failed to know that NO Yoruba or Hausa man has a family house or investment in Igbo land.

Igbos are the only people who believe that living outside their land is an achievement.

Igbos are the only tribe that celebrate their tradition outside their land e.g. Eze Ndi Igbo, Igbo Village in America and this is because they have family homes in foreign lands.

Igbos have failed to know that the children you have outside Igbo land especially overseas will never think of living in Igbo land. So what happens to the properties you are building for them when you are gone?

Igbos are the only tribe who see their land as a place to visit or a tourist site than a place to work and live.

Igbos are the only tribe who instead of promoting and appreciating their culture through movies and documentaries they have sought to ridicule it by portraying rituals, killings, wickedness, love for money and other social vices which were not originally inherent in our culture thereby cursing more harm than actually promoting their culture.

Igbos are the only people who without hesitation believe their history and description when it is told or written by an enemy or a foreigner. E.g. that you do not love yourselves or that you love money.

Igbos are the ONLY largest tribe on earth who fought for their independence and failed to achieve their freedom after 40 years.

Igbos are the only tribe who fails to honour their brave heroes and heroines especially the innocent children starved to death during the Biafran war.

Igbos are the only tribe who embraced their enemy after a bloody civil war and subsequently become slaves.

Igbos do not find it necessary to teach their own version of history to their children.

Igbos fight for marginalisation in Nigeria but has no collective strength or teeth to bite.

Igbos how long are you going to fight for your relevance in Nigeria?

How long are you going to fight for a functional airport, rail networks and other structural establishments that underpin sustainable development?

How long are you prepared to wait for your enemy to guide you to your destiny?

Oh Igbos!
Where are your leaders?

Unfortunately, none of them live and work in Igbo land. If you wish to save the future of your children, your identity, your generation and your race then you need freedom and that freedom is Biafra.

Ukpana Okpoko gburu bu nti chiri ya!

By Chime Eze
#COPIED

The Igbo: We die for causes, not for personalities

Written by Emeka Maduewesi

~on fb. 28th September, 2016.


The Igbo will never die for anyone. We will not even riot for anyone. But the Igbo will die for any cause they believe in because the Igbo have a true sense of justice and a determination to obtain it.


The Igbo will not riot because one of their own lost an election. Operation Wetie was the Western response to a massively rigged 1965 election. The Yoruba doused fellow Yorubas in petrol and burnt them alife. Properties were burnt with occupants. The Igbo will never do this.


In 1983, the Yoruba went on a rampage again over the massive rigging by NPN. Lifes were lost and properties destroyed. The riots were over personalities.


Contrast that with Anambra State where Chief Emeka Ojukwu was rigged out by his own NPN, who also rigged out Chief Jim Nwobodo. The Igbo did not protest because the goat's head is still in the goat's bag.


In the North, ba muso was the battle cry when Sultan Dasuki was imposed on the Sokoto Caliphate. The riot and protest lasted for days and crippled economic activities.


The Igbo will riot over issues and causes. The Aba Women Riot was over Tax. The Enugu coal mine riot was about conditions of service. The Ekumeku Uprising was over British colonialization.


Those of "Ekumeku" ancestry - Umu Eze Chima and Umu Nri - were at the forefront of the struggles for Nigerian independence, with people like Dr. A A Nwafor Orizu and Chief Osita Agwuna serving prison terms. Any struggles the parents could not conclude is continued by the children by other means.


The Biafran war was a response to the genocide. The war in fact was brought upon us. The battlefield was Eastern Region. The war ended in 1970 but the issues and causes were not resolved. That is where we are today.


The Igbo will also jointly rise to fight evil in their midst. They did it in Onitsha in the 1980's, Owerri in the 90's, and with Bakkassi in the 2000.


The Igbo will not die for any man. But the Igbo will stand by any man who symbolizes their cause and their pursuit of justice. Even if the man dies, the struggle continues, and like the Ekumeku warriors, the children will pick up the baton from their parents.


This is the Igbo I know, the Igbo I am, and the Igbo we are. This is my story. Feel free to tell yours.

RT. HON. DR. NNAMDI AZIKIWE TO DR. CHUBA OKADIGBO (1981)

"My boy, may you live to your full potential, ascend to a dizzy height as is possible for anyone of your political description in your era to rise. May you be acknowledged world-wide as you rise as an eagle atop trees, float among the clouds, preside over the affairs of fellow men.... as leaders of all countries pour into Nigeria to breathe into her ear.

But then, Chuba, if it is not the tradition of our people that elders are roundly insulted by young men of the world, as you have unjustly done to me, may your reign come to an abrupt and shattering close. As you look ahead, Chuba, as you see the horizon, dedicating a great marble palace that is the envy of the world, toasted by the most powerful men in the land, may the great big hand snatch it away from you. Just as you look forward to hosting the world’s most powerful leader and shaking his hands, as you begin to smell the recognition and leadership of the Igbo people, may the crown fall off your head and your political head fall off your shoulders.

None of my words will come to pass, Chuba, until you have risen to the very height of your power and glory and health, but then you will be hounded and humiliated and disgraced out of office, your credibility and your name in tatters forever...”
THE REST IS HISTORY AS EVERY WORD OF THE CURSE ON CHUBA CAME TO PASS.

LET'S BE AS PASSIONATE AS WE WANT TO AND BE MODERATE IN OUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN PUBLIC DISCUSSION TO ISSUES AS WORDS OF OUR ELDERS ARE WORDS OF WISDOM

Biafra Videos: Explosive secret about Biafra...

IGBOS BIBLICAL GENEALOGY.

From Nze Anuniru

NA MBU KA OBIDORO NO YOUR ORIGIN DONT BE A FOOL.

They documented some of our history in your bible but you don't know.

IGBOS BIBLICAL GENEALOGY.

Let's begin according to Genesis 29 verse 30: JACOB had twelve (12) sons namely:

#1. Ruben

#2. Simeon

#3. Levi

#4. Judah

#5. Dan

#6. Naphtali

#7. Gad

#8. Asher

#9. Issachar

#10. Zebulun

#11. Joseph

#12. Benjamin.

The 7th son was GAD, and according to Genesis 46 vs16. GAD had seven (7) sons namely:

Ziphon

Haggi

Shunni

Ezbon

Eri

Arodi

Areli.

Sometime in Middle East, famine struck and Jacob moved with his family and about 70 other relations to Egypt. But before then Joseph (which was 11th son of Jacob) had already been sold to Egypt by his brothers, where he was made Governor General under a King Pharaoh. As time goes on when the Pharaoh that knows Joseph died, they started suffering persecutions from the hand of Egyptians but ERI the 5th son of GAD foresaw the danger, persecution, and wickedness coming and he decided to leave in time with his two younger brothers, ARODI & ARELI with one of his half brothers. They travelled through Ethiopia, Sudan and down towards West Africa through river nile and landed at a place known as AGULERI today through Omambala river in Anambra state, around 1305 BC.

(I) ERI established and lived close to the Omambala river.

He was wealthy and wise like his great grand father (Abiama) Abraham. That is why Anambra state has the highest number of rich people in Africa.

ERI; had five (5) sons:

(1) Agulu

(2) Atta

(3) Oba

(4) Hebrew/Ibo

(5) Menri

(1) AGULU; as the first son stayed back and established in the place known as Agulu-ERI (Agulu son of ERI) in Anambra state.

(2) ATTA; moved to upward North and established a place known as "IGALA Kingdom " and that is why their overall KING is known as "Atta of IGALA" in Kogi state

(3) OBA; left and founded a place known as Oba Kingdom in Anambra state.

(4) HEBREW; which have been changed to mean Hibo or Ibo.

He was very powerful spiritual man and that is why people from this area are always very spiritual. He left and founded Igbo-Etiti, Igbo-Adagbe, Igbo- Eze (within Nsukka and parts of Anambra).

(5) MENRI left and founded a place known as ""AgukwuNRI". NRI Kingdom.

(II). ARODI moved to a place known as "ARO- CHUKWU". Very industrious and good at arts and crafts. (e.g: Aba Ngwa people of Aba).

ARODI gave birth to:

(1) Nembe

(2) Ngwa

(3) Abakaliki

(4) Ogoni

(5) Afikpo

(6) Aro-Ikot Ekpene (Akwa Ibom )

(7) Aro- Echie (Rivers state)

(8) Arondizuogu.

During slave trade Aro spread all over the world. America, Cuba, Brazil and "ARO-festival" is always been celebrated in CUBA.

(III). ARELI was a man with a lot of Wisdom. The native tongue of his descendants is today known as "Central Igbo". And people from this Area have the highest number of graduates and professors in Igbo land.

ARELI gave birth to:

(1) Owerri

(2) Umuahia

(3) Diobu (River state)

(4) Okigwe

(5) Orlu

(6) Nkwerre

(7) Elele (Mba Ise)

(9) Mba Ano, etc...

ERI half brothers moved and founded IJAW nationality and some parts of Edo State and many other parts of Niger Delta.

EVIDENCES and SIMILARITIES:

Now to verify some of the things I have said above.

(1) If you get to Aguleri there is a particular house known as OBI GAD (house of GAD). Remember GAD was the 7th son of Jacob (Gen 29:30) and GAD had five (5) sons of which the last three (3) who were ERI, ARODI and ARELI and some of their half brothers left Egypt to West Africa).

The OBI GAD was the resting or relaxing place for ERI and his brothers and they named it OBI GAD in order to honour their father (GAD, the 7th son of Israel).

This OBI GAD was the first house built in Igboland. This is the reason why every Igbo man always build a place called OBI/OBU in his house in honour of his father and mainly for relaxation and in the olden days, there is always a family shrine or little oracle, and why they worship Oracle thenwas because they left EGYPT before GOD gave 10 commandments to Moses for the Israelites, of which one of the 10 commandments is against idol worship. (even though modern day Igbos now build OBI as outside BAR without any Shrine, while some Christians don't build OBI anymore because of their beliefs).

It can also be Called ERI TEMPLE.

The Obi GAD also serve as a Consulting place for some royal fathers from other community that have Direct root to ERI.

ANOTHER EVIDENCE.

(2) At the Burial place of ERI, there is a TRINITY TREE standing on the grave site.

These are three Trees but are strongly United and connected by Single Tap Root.

(3) "ADA" means first Daughter in Israel (Gen 4 vs 19- 20) and it means the same thing in Igbo language.

(4) Before an Igbo man makes a contribution in a public gathering, he will shout "Igbo kwenu " and the people will respond "Yah" and "Yah" is short form of " Yahweh. Yahweh is the name of Jewish GOD.

(5) STAR OF DAVID AND some bronze medals Encrypted with Hebrew Codes were found in many part of the Igboland.

(6) Israelis (Jews) manufactures 80% the world weapons and 70% of USA weapons. Just like Igbos manufactured 80% of all the weapons used during Biafran. Which no other African nation has done. Igbos were only defeated during the war due to Hunger policy.

By now, we would have manufacturing war weapons for Africans, and no country will have to go outside Africa to purchase weapons to fight Insurgency, if not for the bad policy of Nigeria. Igbos are the most highly technologically inclined people in the whole of Africa.

You will also notice that Igbos always handle the post of science and technology and industry in most Nigeria ministerial post.

The first West African billionaire is from Nnewi: Chief Sir Louis Ojukwu.

The black Indigenous Vehicle Manufacturers eg: INNOSON MOTORS AND COSHARIS MOTORS.

Indigenous MOBILE PHONE AND COMPUTER MANUFACTURERS eg:

(A) SLOK MOBILE (Orji Uzo kalu)..

(B) ZINOX COMPUTERS (Leo Stan Ekeh).

(C) SLOT MOBILE (NNAMDI EZEIGBO)

(D) Father of internet and founder of the fastest computer in the world (PHILIP EMEAGWALI) etc.

(7) We carry home our dead ones just like the Israelites (Gen 49 vs 29-50). (Just like the Israelites, we were led or ruled by Elders and Priest.

There was no King in Israel until Samuel appointed Saul as the King of Israel and that was why Israelites were led byProphet Moses and so many other Prophets.

CONCLUSION: Isreali Ambassador (Noah Katz) Confirmed that Igbos are Jews. (Check Daily Sun Newspapers 28th March 2004).

Therefore, Igbo are the Engine Block and Japan of Africa, no wonder an Author with international reputation,

"Emefiena Ezennia" said that "In Biafra Africa Died". We are good people, we love our neighbours, we accommodate anybody. We can live everywhere and develop anywhere. It is in our blood to develop.

We need Igbos to develop Nigeria, Africa and even the world as a whole, we are God's people, a chosen generation!

Nigeria should stop the marginalization of the Igbos and the Biafrans or let them have their freedom.

For the Igbos we should know who we are, dream and think bigger, for you are the son of the most high God, the God of Abraham (Abiama) believe in yourself and work harder as it is in your blood, every parents should Igbo endeavour to teach their children Igbo language and culture all the time! Mba nile nwere ihe ha jiri di ebube only Biafra will save Afaerika (Africa) only Biafra is our last hope.