There is a popular pithy saying in Igbo that if a man does not know where the rain started to beat him cannot know where it dried his body. This summarises the alleged malicious writeup against G50 by one Kingsley Ebere of PM Express online news titled “PLOT TO SCUTTLE MASSIVE VOTES FOR TINUBU BY IGBO G50 IN LAGOS STATE EXPOSED,” dated 27th January, 2023.
An investigation conducted by basklifenews reveals that PM Express was not thorough and fair to G50 in spewing out unwarranted news that relied majorly on armchair accounts and farfetched deductions.
According to a reliable source, G50 has never planned “to scuttle massive votes for Tinubu,” who is highly revered for his advancement of Igbo interest and commercial refinement in Lagos.
The same source revealed that G50 is an organic Igbo union formed as a result of coalition, consensus, and agreement of Igbo people living in Lagos State born by providence. In nutshell, he said that G50 is the amalgamation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, the Igbo-speaking community in Lagos, People of South East Region (POSER), Council of Ndieze Lagos State, Southeast State Town Union, South East Youth, Adorable foundation, Coalition of Igbo traders in Lagos, Igbo Christian ministries, and some others. From the composition, it is very clear that G50 is not an Abuja affair but a league of Igbo major stakeholders living in Lagos with the objective of fostering the unity of Ndi Igbo in Lagos and promoting its common interest. So, according to the source, it is erroneous, reckless, and contemptuous for PM EXPRESS to describe the G50 as made of “political merchants” from Abuja with the intention to extort money from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his reelection. One pertinent question the source asked was, “if Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is happily in support of G50’s vision and mission, why are few harbingers of discord restless, edgy, and fidgety?
Another source noted that it is not a hidden fact the efforts of Hon. Dr. Festus Uchenna, Chief Oliver Akubueze, and Chief Everistus Ozonweke in galvanizing the warring factions among Igbo people living in Lagos into one bloc. He said it was an indelible landmark achievement. It is said that in appreciation of the historic peace accord championed by Dr. Festus Uchenna (Chairman of G50), the Chairman of the Council of Ndieze Ndigbo Lagos, Eze Chris Offia, during the world press conference on 11th January, 2023 said: “we have resolved to work together in pursuant of the peace initiative of G50.” According to him, “we gladly state that the attainment of the feat of bringing various factions of Ndigbo group together to agree to co-exist and work in the interest and well-being of Ndigbo would not have been possible if not for the support of the governor of Lagos state Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. We hereby call on our people to rise up to appreciate the governor through the ballot boxes in the forthcoming election.”
Basklifenews gathered that the rumour of the so-called removal of Eze Uche Dimgba (Okpotemba), who is the Coordinator of Igbo APC in Lagos State was hatched by mischievous elements who have long lost sight of the right track. An insider alleged that only a dreamer would seek to remove Okpotemba as Coordinator of Igbo APC in Lagos for supporting a coalition seeking the realization of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s 2nd tenure bid. Meanwhile, basklifenews observed that during the Igbo APC Lagos State meeting held at Eze Uche Dimgba’s house on 21st January 2023, that all the APC coordinators in Lagos State allegedly supported and paid allegiance to Chief Dimgba, G50, and Governor Sanwo-Olu.
An insider alleged that one Chief Joe Igbokwe, who was very unpopular among the Igbo people and who could not unite the warring factions among the Igbo people living in Lagos could have been rattled by the swiftness with which Dr. Festus Uchenna intervened and reunited the Igbo people in Lagos, which morphed into G50. The source alleged that the self-proclaimed apex leader of Igbo APC in Lagos could be afraid that his leadership monopoly and hegemony are about to end in Waterloo. The source advised him to seize the slim opportunity, team up with the providential leader, and brood no more.
Basklifenews was informed by an insider that Chief Igbokwe is power intoxicated with zero tolerance for power sharing. Further investigation shows how insatiable quest for power allegedly geared Chief Igbokwe to wrestle power with Mr. Jude Chukwuemeka Idimogu, lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 1 on the platform of APC, over who is the leader of Igbo APC Lagos State. Igbokwe’s excuse according to the Guardian online: “It is too early for Idimogu, who was formerly a member of PDP to jump the queue and become the leader one day. There is a structure for leadership. On what ground would I vacate my position for Idimogu, who recently became [an] APC member? I have been serving the party since 1985 and if he (Idimogu) wants to take my position, he has to go back to 1985 and work his way up.”
Nonetheless, it was gathered that “as preparation for the 2023 elections gradually picks up, some aggrieved members of Ndigbo in Lagos APC have raised issues about Igbokwe’s sincerity in distributing the largesse to his people. They have therefore unanimously endorsed the removal of the special adviser as their leader in the party, to be replaced by Idimogu. They argue that Idimogu would protect his electoral interest by doing what is right instead of Igbokwe, who they say is not responsible to anybody since he has always been appointed by the party and government.” No wonder Igbokwe once said in his Facebook as stated by Punch online, “LAGOS, if not for Lagos, somebody like me, will be in Aba chasing lizards to use as a native doctor.”
Finally, G50 has come to stay. The earlier it permeates to the thoughts of all the better.