Ojukwu Vs Nnamdi Kanu: Did Biafrans Switch Love And Allegiance?

Tragedy struck in Biafra land on the 26 of November 2011 when Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who served as the military governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1966 and the leader of the breakaway Republic of Biafra from 1967 to 1970, died in United Kingdom.

Before his death, Ojukwu gained popularity in the Eastern part of the country after he engineered the breakaway Republic of Biafra from Nigeria.

Flashback: (How Biafra emerged):

The Republic of Biafra was a secessionist state in eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to January 1970. The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions among the various peoples of Nigeria. Other ethnic groups that constituted the republic were the Efik, Ibibio, Annang, Ejagham, Eket, Ibeno and the Ijaw among others.

The primary cause of Nigerian Civil War, was the secession of the Biafran region. The state was formally recognised by Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Zambia. Other nations which did not give official recognition, but provided support and assistance to Biafra included Israel, France, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Rhodesia, South Africa and the Vatican City.

After the Nigerian Civil War also known as the Biafra war ended, during which over three million Biafran civilians died from starvation caused by the total blockade of the region by the Nigerian government, surprisingly, Biafran soldiers under the motto of "No-victor, No-vanquished" surrendered to the Nigerian Federal Military Government (FMG) and Biafra was reintegrated into Nigeria.

On 26 May the Eastern region voted to secede from Nigeria. On 30 May, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the South Eastern Region's military governor, announced the Republic of Biafra, citing the Easterners killed in the post-coup violence, this reportedly happened after the federal and eastern governments failed to reconcile.

After Biafra War:

After three years of non-stop fighting and starvation in Biafra land, it became obvious that all was lost, the Biafran leader then, Ojukwu was convinced to leave the country to avoid his certain assassination. On 9 January 1970, General Odumegwu-Ojukwu handed over power to his second in command, Chief of General Staff Major-General Philip Effiong, and left for Ivory Coast, where President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – who had recognised Biafra on 14 May 1968 – granted him political asylum.

After 13 years in exile, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari granted an official pardon to Ojukwu and opened the road for a triumphant return in 1982.

Excited with the new development, the people of Nnewi gave him a chieftaincy title of Ikemba (Strength of the Nation, while the entire Igbo nation took to calling him Dikedioramma ("beloved hero of the masses") during his living arrangement in his family home in Nnewi, Anambra.

With his popularity in the Eastern part of the country, many would have thought that the great Ikemba would easily win any election in the country but reverse was the case when he contested the 2003 Presidential election.

BAYELSA STATE 2003 presidential result:
=========================================================
Registered voters: 765,472
Votes counted: 742,917 97.0%
Invalid votes: 4,752 00.6%
Valid Votes: 738,165 99.4%
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Candidate Party Votes %
---------------------------------------------------------
Muhammadu Buhari ANPP 18,344
Olusegun OBASANJO * PDP 708,312
Odumegwu Ojukwu APGA 3
17 others 11,506 01.6.

Before Ojukwu passed on in 2011, the mantle of leadership in Biafra land had been passed to Ralph Uwazuruike, who reportedly founded the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in 1999 after the emergence of Olusegun Obasanjo as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

However in December 2015 in a surprise move, Uwazuruike announced a new name, Biafra Independent Movement, BIM, for the group.

However, with Uwazuruike gradually losing followership, due to some stringent rules in the group, came the arrival of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) headed by embattled Nnamdi Kanu.

Though Mr. Kanu was operating the group in London, United Kingdom, he however gained more popularity and international recognition after he was arrested by the Department of States Services (DSS) on the 14th of October 2015 in Ikeja, Lagos Nigeria.

Ojukwu Vs Nnamdi Kanu And The Shift In Affection:

Since Nnamdi Kanu was arrested by the DSS, he has appeared in court several times. The Nigerian government charged the Biafran leader with a treasonable felony, though he has been granted bail twice by a federal high court in Abuja, the Nigerian government led by President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to obey court orders raising doubt over Mr. Kanu regaining his freedom anytime soon.

On the 23rd of September 2016, Biafrans observed a 'SIT AT HOME' protest in solidarity with its embattled leader Nnamdi Kanu.

Similarly, on the 14th of October 2016, members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, marked Nnamdi Kanu's one year in detention.

On the 8 of November 2016, Biafrans trooped out to support Nnamdi Kanu during his trial at the Federal High court as well as his case with the Federal Government at the ECOWAS court in Abuja.
In the same vein, on the 17th of November 2016, Biafrans gathered again at the Federal High court, Abuja to support Nnamdi Kanu during his trial on treasonable felony leveled against him by the Federal Government.

Surprisingly, on the 26th of November 2016, Biafrans failed to pay the same respect to their former leader, Ojukwu who died on the 26th of November, 2011.

Now the BIG QUESTION is have 'Biafrans suddenly FORGOTTEN THE SACRIFICES made by the late IKEMBA for the emergence of 'BIAFRA?