Throughout history, economics or religion has served either as a moderating or propelling force in the fluctuating currents of human thoughts and actions. The two equally influence the choice of language of rulers and leaders. That the sharply heterogeneous peoples of the former British colonial protectorates of Southern and Northern Nigeria were forcefully fused into a country called Nigeria was obviously for economic reasons.

Many leaders, especially rulers within oligarchies or feudal system, have in most cases, if not at all times, made statements or taken positions that only smacked of their economic agenda or religious idiosyncrasies. What such leaders or rulers say or do go a long way serving as a driving force behind the conduct and actions of their subjects, even long after they would have ceased to exist on planet earth many decades after.

The Nigerian state has failed to achieve its full potentials mainly due to the awkward deep-rooted sentiments the Hausa/Fulani hegemony has relentlessly attempted foisting on her citizens. As long as they are concerned, it is either they are the rulers or nothing else. In pursuit of this domination agenda, they have ruled the country for thirty-four out of its fifty-five years of independent existence, including the nine years General Yakubu Gowon; a Northern Christian Minority, covered as military Head of state from 1966 to 1975.

To refresh the memory of the reader, West African Students in the United Kingdom during the colonial era had written to the conference of Northern Nigeria Emirs asking for their support for the constitutional evolution of Nigeria into an independent nation but, as captured in Obafemi Awolowo’s Path to Nigerian Freedom, London: Faber and Faber, 1947, pg. 51, the Northern Emirs responded thus, “holding this country together is not possible except by means of the religion of the Prophet, if they want political unity, let them follow our religion”. This thought was deeply elaborated upon by Femi Fani-Kayode in Thisday of December 6, 2014.

As published by Parrot Newspaper of 12th October, 1960 and re-published by the Tribune Newspaper of 13th November, 2002 the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Region; Sir Ahmadu Bello, had boasted that “the new nation called Nigeria should be an estate of our great grand-father, Uthman Dan Fodio ‘We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. ’We use the minorities of the North as willing tools and the South as a conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us, and ‘never allow them to have control over their future’’.

The above policy statement by the late Sardauna was made only eleven days after Nigeria had obtained her political independence from the British Colonial government. As at the time of this statement, the Northern People’s Congress, N.P.C., had formed the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. By the parliamentary system of government that was in vogue during the first republic, 1st October, 1960 to 15th January, 1966, the leader of the political party that had majority of seats in the Federal parliament, like what obtains in Britain, was constitutionally deemed fit to be sworn-in as the Prime-Minister and Head of government of the Federation. By virtue of this constitutional provision, Sir Ahmadu Bello; being the leader Northern People’s Congress, was expected to have been sworn-in as the Prime-Minister of independent Nigeria but he deliberately declined this opportunity for reasons that could keep even a whiz kid perplexed.

The Fulani’s are on a religious cum political

jihad; to conquer the south, ruthlessly make

them not to rule in Nigeria and above all, make

sure that the people of Southern Nigeria do

not have control over their future

The first was as a result of the motion for self-governance of Nigeria in 1956 moved by Chief Anthony Enahoro of the Action Group, A.G. on the floor of Federal Parliament in 1953. This motion was vehemently opposed by the Northern Representatives who rather came up with a very ridiculous and debasing motion for self-governance, ending it with the phrase ‘as soon as practicable’. As the leader of the Northern People’s Congress, it was Sir Ahmadu Bello that came up with this countermotion. 

After him, another Northern Representative moved a motion for adjournment. The Southern Representatives, on both the platform of Action Group led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the National council of Nigeria and Cameroons; N.C.N.C., led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, frowning at the northern ploy, which was deliberately to delay Nigeria’s  march towards independence, spontaneously staged a walk-out from the Parliament. 

When the northern delegates came out of the Parliament, they were obviously confronted by a highly disappointed and, therefore, hostile Lagos crowd that booed and jeered at them. Because of this verbal humiliation, so to say, Ahmadu Bello vowed never to leave the North for Lagos, no matter the attraction. Northern reaction to this scenario in  Lagos would later precipitate the Kano riot of May 1st to 4th, 1953 when Chief Samuel Akintola of the Action Group went to campaign in Kano and which led to the death of many harmless and innocent Southerners in Kano. 

Of course, and as would be expected, very many Northern marauders and butchers equally kicked the bucket. It is important to recall here that the North did threaten session after the experience of her delegates in Lagos. Another reason why Ahmadu Bello refused to take up the Prime-Ministerial position at that time was his belief only in the North and never in Nigeria. While the other leaders; Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo named their political parties to have a national reflection, Ahmadu Bello was blunt to say his party was Northern People’s Congress.

A critical look at the six pronouncements, nay injunctions, by the late Sardauna would provide an answer to the questions, why has Nigeria continuously failed to develop in accordance with her potentials and will Nigeria ever become a developed country? In a country where a section overfly and covertly pursues an agenda which aim is to make the rest see themselves as a conquered people, it would be difficult to harness all resources for the growth of the country.

For the Hausa/Fulani North to have it as their set objective to ruthlessly prevent the South and even Minorities of the North, whom they are only prepared to use as mere willing tools, to assume power in Nigeria is not only a threat to democracy but a dangerous agenda against the unity and progress of Nigeria. The most disheartening and provocative content of Ahmadu Bello’s statement is his directive that his Hausa/Fulani kith and kin should never allow the people of Southern Nigeria to have control over their future. From any angle, whatsoever, this thought is sacrilegious.

One may, therefore, not wonder why the late Premier of Northern Nigeria had bragged that he would dip the Islamic Koran into the Atlantic Ocean. No doubt, what Ahmadu Bello had meant by his boast was surely not the literary dipping of the Koran into the Atlantic Ocean which, by interpretation, symbolizes the South of Nigeria but political and economic conquest of the people of Southern Nigeria.

In today’s Nigeria, the Fulanis, vehemently supported by the Hausas that their great grandfather, Uthman Dan Fodio, conquered have been doing everything to justify the injunction of Ahmadu Bello. They dominate the Nigerian Military, Police, Department of State Service, the federal bureaucracy and the country’s economy. In contemporary politics, they have seized maximum advantage of the Yoruba’s amnesia of the deceit of Afonja who was used by the Fulani to bring about the fall of Oyo Empire only for the Fulani to plot his assassination and take over the headship of Ilorin Emirate up till date. History is on the verge of repeating itself. 

Because of inordinate ambition, Senator Bolaji Tinubu, like Afonja, has handed four out of six states of the Yoruba geo-political zone to the Fulani’s. Whether he would achieve his ulterior motive or end up like Afonja, the traitor, would only be determined by time. Meanwhile, special thanks must be given to the likes of the duo of governors Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state and Peter Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state both of whom have courageously stood their grounds against Fulani agenda of reducing the South into a conquered territory.

Emboldened by the electoral successes recorded in Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and the betrayal that was Imo governorship election aided by a Fulani stooge; Rochas Okorocha, the Fulani quest to dip the Koran into the Atlantic Ocean is intoxicating them to go beyond the tenets of reason and decency in order to conquer Bayelsa. There is nothing they are not prepared to do just to make sure that Bayelsa falls.

It is, however, interesting to note that some prominent indigenes of Bayelsa are conscious of this Fulani threat. Not long ago in Yenagoa, during the congress of People’s Democratic Party that produced the state governor; Barr. Seriki Dickson, as the governorship candidate of the Party for the December 5, 2015 election, the first democratically elected governor of the state; Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, avowed that the Hausa/Fulani having disgraced their son, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, at the national level, will not be allowed to disgrace him further in his home. This is the crux of the matter. 

The Fulani’s are on a religious cum political jihad; to conquer the south, ruthlessly make them not to rule in Nigeria and above all, make sure that the people of Southern Nigeria do not have control over their future. Unknown to them, the people of Bayelsa, nay the people of Ijaw Nation are, more than ever before, prepared to put them to shame as they have put every machinery in motion to make sure that Governor Dickson; a governor that has performed in various fields of economic and social development, is overwhelmingly re-elected.

Scripted By Chief (Sir) Don Ubani