Ohanaeze chieftain Casmir Obialom warns against ethnic politics, urging Igbo leaders to build alliances across Nigeria to improve chances of winning the presidency
A chieftain of the Niger State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor Casmir Obialom, has warned that the continued embrace of ethnic politics by Igbo leaders could hinder the South-East’s chances of producing Nigeria’s president.
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Professor Casmir Obialom made the call on Saturday while delivering a keynote address during the inauguration of newly elected executives of the Niger State chapter of the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in Minna.
The academic and political adviser lamented that the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has remained elusive for the Igbo partly because of political strategies rooted in ethnicity rather than national alliances.
Speaking on the theme of political inclusion, Professor Casmir Obialom said the path to national leadership requires collaboration across Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups rather than a narrow ethnic approach.
“What the Igbos should do is very simple. We should shun ethnic politics if we must get to that level of national entitlement, that is, the presidency,” Professor Casmir Obialom said.
Professor Casmir Obialom, who also serves as Special Adviser to the Special Adviser on Inter-Tribal Affairs to the Niger State Governor, Chief George Dike, described the Igbo people as naturally endowed with the capacity to contribute meaningfully to national development.
He stressed that political success at the national level demands a broad federal outlook capable of attracting support from different regions.
“You can never get a national appointment or the presidency through ethnicity. You must be versatile and have a federal inclination. Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, all of them must come together to make you President,” he said.
Professor Casmir Obialom cited the current political arrangement in Niger State as an example of what he described as strategic inclusiveness. He praised Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for recognising the role of non-indigenes in governance.
According to Professor Casmir Obialom, the creation of the Office of the Special Adviser on Inter-Tribal Affairs and the appointment of Chief George Dike marked a powerful step towards inclusive governance.
The initiative, he noted, opened opportunities for several others who now serve as coordinators, senior special assistants and special assistants within the state administration.
Professor Casmir Obialom also challenged the widely held perception that Nigeria’s presidency is a contest strictly between the Hausa and Yoruba ethnic groups. Instead, he argued that the contest historically reflects a broader North-South political balance.
“Don’t say it is between the North and the South-West; it is between the North and the South,” he said.
Professor Casmir Obialom added that internal divisions within the southern region have often weakened its political influence, contrasting the situation with what he described as the stronger unity often displayed in northern political alignments.
He urged Igbo leaders to strengthen political cooperation with other southern blocs, particularly the South-West, noting that such alliances could significantly enhance the chances of producing a president from the South-East in the future.
Professor Casmir Obialom further advised that the ambition of producing a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction should not be narrowly tied to the 2027 general election.
“The issue is that it must not be 2027. Nigeria is not finishing in 2027. In politics, you prepare,” he said.
Drawing from past political experiences, Professor Casmir Obialom recalled lessons he learned during his time working with former presidential candidate Olu Falae, noting that strategic patience and long-term political planning have historically strengthened the political influence of the Yoruba.
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He urged Igbo political leaders and stakeholders to adopt a similar forward-looking approach in pursuing national leadership positions.
