By Tony Okafor
The 2027 general elections present Ndigbo with an important opportunity to rethink the quality of people they send to the National Assembly.
This is not the time for sentiments, blind loyalty or partisan emotions. The overriding question should be: Who has the experience, courage, competence and political maturity to protect Igbo interests in Abuja?
Ndigbo cannot afford to send political Lilliputians to the National Assembly when national politics increasingly demands people who understand the intricate chessboard of power.
Representation in the National Assembly is not a beauty contest. It is not about who makes the loudest noise or enjoys the biggest social media following. It is about people who can negotiate, build alliances, read the political terrain and, when necessary, stand their ground.
Recent political developments have demonstrated the importance of experience and maturity in legislative representation. Some lawmakers from the South-East have, in recent times, demonstrated that political experience matters when important national decisions are being made.On several occasions, some have gone beyond the narrow confines of their senatorial districts to speak up on issues affecting the wider Igbo interest, including the concerns of Ndigbo in the diaspora, when it mattered.
Ndigbo must therefore put sentiments aside in making their 2027 choices. Membership of a particular political party, whether at the centre or in the state, should not automatically qualify anyone for election to the National Assembly.
Our votes must be earned.
We should not elect representatives whose major political skill is genuflecting before powerful Alhajis, Otumbas or whoever controls the levers of power.
When the first generation of Igbo politicians represented the South-East in national politics, they were men of timber and calibre—politicians whose stature commanded the respect of their peers.
They were not at the centre merely to beg for favours or become ceremonial participants at functions, helping to share anara (garden eggs) and the like. They were there to exercise influence, defend the interests of their people and participate meaningfully in national decision-making.
Perhaps this explains why the clamour over Igbo marginalisation did not assume the prominence it has acquired today
Their representatives were regarded as formidable players in national politics—men who could hold their own among their peers and make the voice of the South-East count.
Building relationships across political, ethnic and religious lines is necessary in national politics. But there is a difference between strategic engagement and political subservience.
The South-East needs lawmakers who can engage those in power without surrendering the interests of their constituents; people who can negotiate without bowing, cooperate without becoming political appendages and disagree without becoming irrelevant.
The questions for 2027 should therefore be simple: Can this person speak? Can they negotiate? Can they withstand pressure? Do they understand Nigeria’s political architecture? Have they demonstrated sound judgment and the ability to build useful national alliances?
Ndigbo need representatives who can sit at the table where decisions are made and make their presence count.
In 2027, the choice must be about competence, experience, courage and political intelligence—not sentiment.
Let us send to Abuja people who should be feared—not because they are arrogant or violent, but because they are intellectually formidable, politically experienced, strategically intelligent and courageous enough to defend the interests of their people.
Ndigbo deserve no less.
