Before we delve into the topic proper, the big question is "who are the Igbos" ? The Igbos or Ndi Igbo as they're popularly called or referred to are the people that reside in what is today known as the Igbo land. No thanks to the creation of the state by Yakubu Gowon. The Igbo currently are those residing in the South Eastern part of Nigeria but the truth is that there are igbos scattered in the South - South and middle -Belt regions of Nigeria.
The Igbos are popularly known for the Oriental hypothesis while posits that they migrated from Israel and established alot of features, similarities etc between them and the News .A focal point of compassion is the persecution of the Jews under Adolph Hitler as it is likened to the persecution of the Igbos currently in Nigeria.
"Igbos" is a major ethnic group in Nigeria. Nevertheless, no thanks to the Nigerian-Biafran war that lasted between 1967-1970, they lost their place in the space of Nigeria. They lost their space in all aspects of Nigeria both politically, Economically, Socially, Culturally and what have you.
But all thanks to the resolute and entrepreneurial spirit of Ndi igbo, they where able to restore back their place in the economic space of Nigeria.They took over trade and commerce sector of Nigeria. We (Ndi Igbo) became well known as entrepreneurs and making cool cash from entrepreneurial ventures.
Nevertheless Ndi Igbo or the Igbo Race has been a shadow of itself in the political hemisphere of Nigeria. Don't forget that the first military Head of State in Nigeria Major General J.T.U Aguiyi Ironsi was from the Igbo extraction and so far, he has remained the only Nigerian leader that came from the Igbo race. The second after him was just a deputy, Dr Alex Ekwueme during the leadership of Alhaji Shehu Shagari as at 1979.
The Nigerian civil war is the major reason why the Igbo Race lost its place in all sphere of Nigeria per say but given the 3R policy of Yakubu Gowon of Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, the place of Ndi Igbo in the geographical expression called Nigeria has always been questioned as it is over 45 years since the war ended and Nigeria is yet to have a president from the Igbo extraction.
After military rule, Nigeria returned back to democracy in 1999 with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) as the major political party of the day. The PDP dominated the political sector of the country for over 20 years and it took a merger party of ACN, ANPP and CPC to form APC which destabilized the PRO and they became the ruling party in 2015 with the emergence of H.E President Muhammadu Buhari. President Muhammadu Buhari happens to be the second Nigerian leader from the North-West extraction.
Nevertheless,the Igbo Race is yet to have a democratic president as other geographical regions have produced a Nigerian President under civilian rule as it is being called.
The two dominant parties; the PDP and the APC deliberately subjugated the Igbo race/clan to second-class citizens as they reliably and vehemently frustrated all their efforts to cling their presidential tickets.
The A.P.C made it looked as if Umahi was a Strong Igbo candidate. Umahi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Rochas OKorocha but as foreseen in the APC national convention where all the south-Western and South-Southern presidential aspirants contesting for the candidacy of APC apart from Rotimi Amaechi stepped down for Good Ahmed Tinubu; that was a plot to frustrate the Igbo and make sure they do not get the ticket and the same thing happened in PDP as Peter Obi was the strong Igbo candidate ("Okunte Nchj Igbo" as he is popularly called) that was in line and very eligible get the ticket having been a vice presidential candidate to Atiku in 2019 but when he smelt betrayal here and there especially in his own state where delegates were corrupt and he found out that everything will be about "money politics" he had to defect to the Labour Party and that boils down to the significance of Labour Party to Igbo Race.
The Labour Party for the first time ever in civilian era of democratic era in Nigeria has brought out the Igbo race to the political space of Nigeria.
As it is now, Peter Obi of the Labour Party is considered as one of the major presidential candidate of the 2023 general election. And whether he wins or yes, the Igbo race has fully bee disintegrated into the powers "that be" of Nigeria, all thanks to the Labour party.
If Peter Obi wins, we will have the first civilian president of the Igbo Race and if he doesn't win we will have a strong opposition leader from the Igbo race and that is a great lift for the Igbo race.
As a matter of fact, the significance of the Labour Party to the Igbo Race is so enormous that the IPOB agitation is gradually calming down because there seems to be rays of hope from Peter Obi and Labour party for Igbo race.
The Labour Party is so significant to the Igbo Race in that it has reintegrated the Igbo race back to the political hemisphere of Nigeria; it has given rays of hope to the Igbo race and it's gradually calming down Biafra agitation.
For the first time ever also, after the 1979 election of Shehu Shagari, the Igbo race is highly represented as Nigeria will witness another "WAZOBIA" election in her history of existence, all thanks to Labour Party.
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