By Prof. Echefuna’ R G ONYEBEADI

The blockade of the road two days ago, to deny HE Peter Obi access through the Benue area while going up North and what happened to Ndigbo around the Benue area in 1966/67 while coming down South, are two different scenarios, but the same message with a variant and an interlude!

1. The 1966 – 1970 Scenario

The Ibos were rushing back home, South, but were waylaid around the Benue area and massacred.

They were running away from hatred, devastation, pogrom and genocide.

There were wailings, pains, sorrows and deaths.

Majority of them didn’t arrive at their destination.

The very few that miraculously escaped, ended up being encircled in a double jeopardy of an avoidable “genocidal war” styled “civil war”, to which a very microscopic few of the few survived, but were never the same again!

2. The September 08, 2026 Scenario

A global personality and one of the Nigerian presidential candidates of Igbo extraction with his team were ambushed/barricaded around the same Benue area, while going North with a message of hope and empathy for humanity.

There were instantaneous outcries from various quarters, even from unusual quarters. The ambush was eventually cleared, they proceeded on their journey and they ultimately arrived at their destination unhurt and without any casualty.

Anything untoward may have happened on the contrary, but it didn’t happen.

Time delayed? – yes!, but the delay didn’t become denial!

So, it was a victory of sorts, as the message of hope and human empathy ultimately arrived at its predestined destination. Message delivered. Empathy validated. Hope rekindled! Humanity rejoiced!

3. The 1970 – 2026 Scenario

For 56 years, after the “genocidal war” since 1970, Ndigbo that survived the war, returned to a declared “No Victor, No Vanquish” verdict of the ruling military authority; which eventually became more of lip service and very deficient in execution.

Three programmes of Reconciliation Rehabilitation and Reconstruction were announced by the ruling military authority for the Ndigbo returnees, but again, they were poorly implemented if at all.

Ndigbo returned to deliberately emptied treasuries, collapsed infrastructure, knocked/hijacked businesses, subtle rejection and properties they couldn’t reclaim.

Disadvantaged in virtually every area of human life, some remained irreversibly wounded and others permanently incapacitated.

Then the journey for a restart, recognition and relevance was kick-started by Ndigbo.

There were blockades of sorts everywhere Ndigbo went to in the country. Some, they surmounted; some they jumped over; and, they are still battling with some even as I type this message now in September, 2026.

Whereas Ndigbo have broken many jinxes and succeeded in many areas including “Nigerianizing” themselves far more than any tribe in the country, by their visible presence and development of everywhere in Nigeria, safe for their own country home.

They have privately broken jinx of financial hurdles, they have broken the jinx of industrial bottlenecks and many other areas, but one jinx that is yet to be broken by Ndigbo is to become President of Nigeria since after the war of 1967 – 1970!

For effect, a quick perusal of Presidents/Heads of State since after the war of 1967-1970 reveals:

1. General Yakubu Gowon (North Central) – (4+5 years; 1966-1975)

2. General Murtala Muhammed (North West) – (6 months - ½ year; 1975-1976)

3. General Olusegun Obasanjo (South West) – (3½ years; 1976-1979)

4. Alhaji Shehu Shagari (4¼ years; 1979-1983)

5. General Muhammadu Buhari (North West) – (1year; 1984-1985)

6. General Ibrahim Babangida (North Central) – (8 years, 1985-1994)

7. Chief MKO Abiola (South West) – (0 year; 1993)

8. Chief Ernest Shonekan (South West) – (3 months - ¼ year; 1994)

9. General Sani Abacha (North West) – (Approx. 5 years; 1994-1998)

10. General Abdulsalami Abubakar (North Central) – (Approx. 1 year; 1998-1999)

11. General Olusegun Obasanjo (South West) – (8 years; 1999-2007)

12. Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’Adua (North West) – (Approx. 3 years; 2007-2010)

13. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan (South South) – (Approx. 5 years; 2010-2015)

14. General Muhammadu Buhari (North West) – (8 years; 2015-2023)

15. Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu (South West) – (3 years+; 2023 to date)

From the foregoing, the number of Presidents by Geopolitical Zones since 1970, after the “civil war”, are:

1. North West (6 Presidents for 22 years)

2. North Central (3 Presidents for 4+14 =18 years)

3. North East (0-Zero President for 0-Zero year)

4. South West (5 Presidents for 15 years+ and still counting)

5. South South (1 President for 5 years)

6. South East (0-Zero President for 0-Zero year)

Since, by the provision of the operating Constitution, the President and Vice President (VP) is a joint ticket, a quick look at the VPs in the current dispensation since 1999, are:

1. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (North East) – (8 years, 1999-2007)

2. Dr Goodluck Jonathan (South South) – (3 years, 2007-2010)

3. Alhaji Namadi Sambo (North West) – (5 years, 2010-2015)

4. Professor Yemi Osinbajo (8 years, 2015-2023)

5. Alhaji Kashim Shettima (3 years+, 2023-Date)

The VPs by Geopolitical Zones since 1999 are:

1. North West (1 VP for 5 years+)

2. North Central (0-Zero VP for 0-Zero year)

3. North East (2 VPs for 11 years+ and still counting)

4. South West (1 VP for 8 years)

5. South South (1 VP for 3 years)

6. South East (0-Zero VP, 0-Zero year)

From the aforementioned, only North Central and South East have neither produced President nor Vice President in this new political dispensation since 1999.

Only South East has not produced any President, whether in khaki or agbada, since after the “civil war” supposedly ended in 1970 – 56 years ago!

Now, let’s take a glimpse at karma.

The Benue area has always been a gateway of horror particularly for Ndigbo; whether coming South as in 1966/67 or going North as in September 2026. As it was in the beginning, so it is now. Will it continue to be so forever?

Intriguingly, the very instruments the Benue area has used against others have been variously turned against them up till recent times.

Is the Benue area situation in recent times worth rejoicing over? Certainly not. But, it is a mind blowing ‘thought for food’!

Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever people sow is what they will reap!

The law of retributive justice may seem slow to manifest, but it eventually catches up.

However, in the interlude, people of great foresight and high intellectual minds like Dr Obadiah Mailafia of blessed memory, saw it coming.

Dr Obadiah Mailafia warned against it and even made an open apology on behalf of the Benue area, before be was mysteriously “kpaied” at his prime! May his gentle soul continually find peace with God Almighty!

So, fast forward, can or will HE Peter Gregory Obi, surmount and/or brake the jinx of South East presidential huddle as a Nigerian candidate of Igbo extraction this time around?

The answer is blowing in the winds!...

We wait to see. Time will tell.

•Professor Echefuna’ R. G. ONYEBEADI [DBA; PhDs; CEng. Etc], Professor of Engineering Economy, Strategic Management Expert and the Inegbese of Oligbo Kingdom, writes from FCT Abuja.