Adakole Ijogi is with Barry Paul Bayei and 4 others.

January 21 at 3:44pm ·

Middle Belt People and the Nigerian Presidency

As the Nigerian nation moves toward presidential elections in 2019, the Middle Belt People [Northern Ethnic Minorities]
who are the silent composite majority in the political landscape of Northern Nigeria have to answer fundamental
questions about their role in the Nigeria nation and indeed Northern Nigeria. This election season should be a wake up
call for its people and leadership, who some might have been silent and others perhaps willing collaborators in an
asymmetrically skewed narrative that has placed its people under siege and ravaged it’s land with death and destruction,
causing astronomic and mind burgling anguish. The Middle Belt People from Manbilla, to Gurara and extending towards
its lush Savannah plains, must take the phase “Unity for Majority” as a guiding and working principle.

The Middle Belt People, Ethnic Minorities in Northern Nigeria, are significantly wholesome in 15 out of the 19 States in
Northern Nigeria and the FCT. With a large indigenous population in Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger,
Taraba, Adamawa, Abuja-FCT, and parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, Yobe and Borno States.
Kindly allow me to state for the avoidance of doubt and in attestation of fact, say the Middle Belt People [Northern Ethnic
Minorities] have a numerical population of 32,459,008 from the published 2006 Nigerian Population census figures,
which has now grown to an estimated 48,671,113 people in 2017. The region also has a current voting population of
21,402,667, which is a significant voting strength that should be brought to bear in 2019.

Also may I reiterate that the Middle Belt is not a geographical expression or is it a religious ensemble, for emphasis, the
middle Belt People [Northern Nigeria Ethnic Minority People], includes the Igala, Jukun, Idoma, Nupe, Birom, Tarok,
Gbagyi, Tiv, Angas, Eggon, Ankwei, Zuru, Ebira, Gwari, Batchama, Tangale, Mada, Alago, Higgi, Bajju, Amor, Panso, Kutep,
Kaba, Mumuye, Bogum, Keje, Gwom, Nangere, Kulere, Muchella, Chamba, Igede, Mobba, Ngweshe, Zing, Buji, Ufia, Njayi,
Kurama, Afizere, Gwadara, Rukuba, Bariba, Achipa, Irigwe, Kwalla, Akweya, Mandung, Anaguta, Bakulung, Mwaghavul,
Kubi, Bambuko, Gingwak, Bwazza, Chella, Bambora, Pire, Chamo, Bassa, Dakakari, Baruba, Diba, Gade, Zul, Dukka, Gera,
Ninzam, Jabba, Gyem, Ijumu, Jere, Kanembu, Ngizim, Kona, Lakka, Manga, Koro, Montol, Ndoro, Polchi Habe, Potopo,
Rebina, Saya, Segidi, Zarma, Zayam and so many others, are all one people bounded and assimilated by ancestral heritage,
cultural exchange, traditional affiliation, social migration and land for over 1,000 years in present day Nigeria.

Northern Nigeria and indeed Nigerians must in the coming presidential elections; brace up to the abundant evidential
realities of the fact that the capacity to govern and a mere parochial desire for power are incongruent. As the quest for
development and people empowerment are in the heart of any progressive governance, which is loudly absent in the
Buhari led administration. This is in high variance to the preponderance of credible, competent and trustworthy people
abundant in the Middle Belt Region, I put it to you that, Northern Nigeria can certainly do better than a Muhammadu
Buhari.

The insecurity and sectarian violence across Nigeria, the battered economy and weak naira, the wide spread poverty and
hunger, the rising unemployment, the systematic corruption and maladministration, the unfulfilled campaign promises,
further compounded by a grossly divided nation and a people entrenched in economic recession are all pointers to the
fact that the ability and capacity to govern and a self-righteous crusader are mutually exclusive. The Middle Belt Region
must cease this opportunity by rallying round one of its own and with the support of other parts of the country rescue this
nation from further drifting into socio-political and economic abyss.
Clearly Northern Nigeria that is most hit by this calamity, looking at the human development index, economic parameters
and social indices must think again in deciding which of its son’s to queue behind come 2019 election. It will be a
subjective test as to whether a Northern Ethnic Minority can sufficiently be called “Dan Arewa” [Northerner] or as some
pundits puts it, it’s vast land and numerical advantage are willing tools for the divide and rule tactic employed by political
opportunist and perpetrators.

At this time in our nations history, let it be said that, as a people the Middle Belt Region can rise to the occasion by
providing credible, progressive and democratic leadership for Nigeria. I have heard talk about how tongue and tribe differ
and how the Middle Belt people are not united, my response has always been, put a Middle Belter on the ballot of a main
Political Party and see the quantum unification of a people.

While this clueless, retrogressive and repressive administration sends pythons to be dancing in the South East and
crocodiles to be smiling in the South South, in its authoritarian and undemocratic style is also swiping the forest in the
dessert North West, scattering the South West and despotically instituting safe haven for criminal herdsmen in the North
Central, leaves no one in doubt as to its values on democratic ideals of the rule of law and peoples engagement. The
Nigerian people and nation must be salvaged from this anti-people administration, and enthused unto the path of people’s
centered, pro-growth, pro-citizens, rule of law, non-divisive, detribalized and gender sensitive governance.

Sadly though in Nigeria, political and voting consideration have always been subdued by ethno-religious prejudices and
sentiments. Now that the Presidency in 2019 has largely been conceded to Northern Nigeria, the Middle Belt People must
present a formidable Presidential candidate to match that of the APC. This candidate should be credible, tested and
popular across Nigeria. The time for the classical or idealistic insinuations on age and new breed is not for the 2019
presidential election, as the Nigerian nation needs an immediate political intervention and the Middle Belt Region and
indeed Nigeria must be strategic and pragmatic. The question should be, who from the Middle Belt Region is widely
electable and can do the job, as we can unequivocally say that there are many from the Manbilla to Gurara and the
Savannah that can salvage this nation from this calamity come 2019.

adakole IJOGI
National Youth Coordinator
National Middle Belt Forum

adakoleijogi@yahoo.com