NewStats: 3,264,972 , 8,185,234 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 12:53 AM 2k2m27

gidgiddy:
Njoku and Ojukwu were not the the best of friends from the start. It is public knowledge that when Ironsi was about to appoint the Military Governor of the Eastern Region, the two names he considered for the job were Njoku and Ojukwu. He eventually appointed Ojukwu, something Njoku did not take kindly to.

According to Njoku's book 'Tragedy Without Heroes', he fell out with Ojukwu shortly after Biafra was declared because he sent a strongly worded letter to Ojukwu. I can't what was in the letter but it made Ojukwu to dismiss him and keep under house arrest until the war ended
*SNIP*

Had he not escaped, he would have suffered the same fate as Ironsi and Fajuyi

Do you know I wasn't aware of the bolded? I wonder why no one called out Ojukwu for this when he was alive. Image ... the most brilliant post colonial military officer in Nigeria and Biafra never had a command during the uncivil war. Just imagine WW2 without General Erich Von Manstein or even The Grand Army without Napoleon. I wonder why personal interest superseded national interest in this case. Even the Banjo coup they said he was indirectly implicated ought to have implicated Madiebo too according to Madiebo's writings. But Ojukwu seemed to had protected him. If it took British military instructors whipping Nigerian soldiers back to battle under Madiebo, what could have happened under Njoku?

Lifestone:

That is not resoluteness, that is foolishness. How do you start a war before looking for guns and alliances to fight the war. Suicide!

You made sense. I hope you're now looking for guns and alliances in readiness for the next war as Fulani continues massacring people from village to village. At least your village will be better prepared to withstand them when it's their turn.

Military experts projected at the beginning of the war that the odds against Biafra was 4 to 1. They even posited that were the odds 3 to 1 that Biafra may not have lost. I learnt about Njoku's brilliance through a declassified British memo where his British military instructors wrote that he was always ahead of every other cadet during training. He even marveled them as an African that they always assigned him the best troops ahead of other cadets in a military school that had Indians, Canadians, Africans, Pakistanis and even British. In contrast, they wrote that Madiebo was not in his class that even the British were surprised that Ojukwu didn't make him head of the Biafran army. Had he done this, who knows if the odds could have been 3 to 1.

Christistruth02:
Njoku told Ojukwu to look for a diplomatic solution because there was no military chance or solution for Biafra , or in other words Biafra had no hope of winning the war

For that Ojukwu jailed him

Igbo had some of the most brilliant military men in post independence Nigeria. I had always not seen Madiebo as very brilliant after reading his book "The Nigerian Revolution and The Biafran War" and often wondered why Ojukwu preferred him to head the Biafran army despite having a large pool of talented officers to work with. I had suspected that the British may have a hand in deceiving Ojukwu using Frederick Forsyth their spy in Biafra. So I decided to ask an AI what they thought about Madiebo's command in the stead of a more brilliant Njoku. Here's the answer I got. This is with the hope that any future Igbo country would never defer to incompetence like we see daily in Nigeria.

AI:

The preference of Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, leader of Biafra, for Alexander Madiebo over Hilary Njoku as Commander of the Biafran Army stemmed from a complex interplay of **loyalty concerns, istrative reliability, and strategic alignment**, rather than a simple assessment of military brilliance. Below is a detailed analysis of the key factors:

### 1. **Loyalty and Trustworthiness**
- **Njoku's perceived federal ties**: Njoku, though highly competent, was viewed as having residual loyalties to the pre-war Nigerian military structure. As a former officer in the Nigerian Army, his defection to Biafra was seen by Ojukwu as potentially pragmatic rather than ideological. This raised suspicions about his reliability during critical moments.
- **Madiebo's personal relationship with Ojukwu**: Madiebo had served as Ojukwu's aide-de-camp (ADC) before the war, establishing a bond of personal trust. Ojukwu prioritized unwavering loyalty in his inner circle, especially after experiencing betrayals and coup attempts. Madiebo's consistent alignment with Ojukwu's vision made him a safer choice.

### 2. **Internal Power Struggles and Coup Plots**
- **Njoku's association with plotters**: During the September 1967 coup plot led by Victor Banjo (a non-Igbo officer), Njoku was implicated indirectly. Banjo and his collaborators sought to overthrow Ojukwu and negotiate peace with Nigeria, which Ojukwu viewed as treason. Though Njoku was not executed, he was demoted and sidelined, while Madiebo was promoted to replace him.
- **Ojukwu's purge of "federal sympathizers"**: After the coup attempt, Ojukwu eliminated officers he deemed disloyal. Njoku's military brilliance was overshadowed by his perceived vulnerability to manipulation by anti-Ojukwu factions. Madiebo, in contrast, had no ties to the plotters and was seen as ideologically committed to Biafra.

### 3. **istrative and Strategic Compatibility**
- **Madiebo's bureaucratic competence**: Ojukwu needed a commander who could manage the army's istrative chaos, including logistics and communications. Madiebo, with his artillery background and organizational experience, was better suited for this role. Njoku, while tactically gifted, was less experienced in large-scale istrative coordination.
- **Propaganda alignment**: Madiebo consistently reinforced Ojukwu's narrative of the war in his public statements and writings (e.g., *The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War*), portraying Ojukwu as a resolute leader. Njoku, by contrast, was less vocal in promoting the Biafran cause ideologically, making him less useful for morale-building.

### 4. **Ojukwu's Leadership Style and Insecurity**
- **Distrust of "outsiders"**: Ojukwu maintained tight control over decision-making and distrusted officers with independent influence. Njoku's reputation as "one of the best officers Nigeria produced" threatened Ojukwu's authority, whereas Madiebo was seen as a loyal executor of orders.
- **Post-war reflections**: Colleagues like Joe Achuzia noted that Ojukwu shielded associates from criticism in his unpublished memoirs, suggesting his choices were influenced by personal bonds. Madiebo's post-war writings defended Ojukwu's decisions, further validating the trust between them.

### Conclusion
Ojukwu's choice of Madiebo was less about military brilliance and more about **crisis-driven pragmatism**: prioritizing loyalty, istrative control, and ideological conformity over raw tactical acumen. Njoku's associations with federal structures and internal plotters made him a liability in Ojukwu's eyes, while Madiebo's personal allegiance and bureaucratic efficiency aligned with Biafra's survival strategy. This decision underscores the fraught political dynamics within Biafra's leadership, where trust often trumped talent.

DMerciful:
Obi as the presidential candidate of the coalition is non-negotiable

This was my view but we should shift grounds if necessary. I do not see a northerner with the clout to lockdown the north. Kwankwanso with all his arrogance couldn't garner up to 2 million votes. Atiku has been a serial contestant and has proven to be popular in the north. Atiku locks down the north while Obi would do the same for the south and middlebelt. What we are talking about isn't just getting the votes, these guys got it in 2023. but Tinubu somehow was manoeuvred to displace them. Let's forget the strategic objective of Obi presidency for now and focus on the tactical advantage of a team capable of stopping a voracious rigging machine called APC.

Atiku/Obi - PDP

We already know this. so I wonder why the coalition is delaying.

All the public decamping of some politicians is to remove opposition to rigging. What they're planning is replicate what they did in Rivers, so a strong alliance in a strong party with serious monitoring is essential.

Rigging in the south is easier, especially by politicians.

I believe that Obi polled more than 9 million votes in 2023 but was short-changed due to a weak platform. Atiku is not very adept but with Obi in the team, his weaknesses would be covered.

A four-year Atiku presidency deal would meet every aspiration of all parties - and give the people a new lease of life. Don't say it's the turn of the south because Tinubu does not believe in the south. He showed it in 2015 by opposing Jonathan and shows it today by running a Yoruba government.


To the coalition, we are waiting... Make it Atiku Obi, even though we know that on a normal day, Obi would win any free and fair election, we must not leave 2027 to chance.

richmond500:
Obi ers can't do without mentioning Tinubu.
Tinubu ers can't do without mentioning Obi.

You know why Obi gives Tinubu and his people sleepless nights more than Atiku? Every Nigerian knows he won the 2023 election that Tinubu rigged. Otherwise, there's no chance that the person who supposedly won would focus on number 3 leaving number 2. It's common sense. Atiku is not the threat here. This is why I think Obi and Atiku should be in one team to kick the corrupt government out. That team would be impossible to rig out.

Tflex01:
Congratulations to the Igbos 🎉

This is a very great achievement.

Have you noticed that prominent Yoruba men love marrying Igbo women? The post just showed that even Davido's grandma and Osun state governors mother is Igbo. Isn't it time Yariibaaa start campaigning against marrying Igbo? Folks like Tinubu s son should be prevented from ruling states in Yarriibaland. Even Davido should be sanctioned. Why leave our Yarribaa women for Igbo?

Kemetian:
Peter Obi was a General Sani Abacha appointee at Tin Can Island port as Chairman, I believe, right when Tinubu was lobbying Abacha for appointment after throwing Abiola under the bus.

-snip-

mrrandomguy:
This is embarrassing.
Imagine such a comment coming from someone who bankrolled the 2 million man march in of Abacha. This is the same Peter Obi who was a protégé of Arthur Nzeribe, whose ABN group got the court order that annuled the June 12 election.

Shame on all of those who keep ing him because he is from their region.

You're very right.

Democrazy is the government of election riggers for their cronies at the expense of the populace.

That's loot talking ... In Nigeria, once you're in a ruling party it's akin to your brain jumping out of the window. We saw this in a measure in PDP, APC merely magnified it.

Twemi:
Why you people like to dey abuse AI?

Your definition of abuse is weird.

UncleJJ:
When will you ask AI who your ancestors are down to the 5th generation.

Olodo. very soon AI will tell you not to take a shower

I feel your pain ... pele

Don't you have money to buy Enugu? Why weep?

[url][/url]I even found out Davido has far more Igbo connection...

Davido's mother, Dr. Veronica Imade Adeleke (who was of Bini descent from Edo State), encouraged him to maintain close ties with the Igbo people despite neither parent being fully Igbo. This advice was rooted in several key factors revealed in the search results:

1. **Igbo Lineage Through Paternal Grandmother**
Davido's paternal grandmother, Dr. Nnenna Esther Adeleke, was Igbo from Akwete in Abia State. Though his father, Adedeji Adeleke, is Yoruba, the family maintained strong cultural and linguistic ties to their Igbo heritage. Davido's father and uncles (including Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke) grew up fluent in Igbo, reportedly more so than Yoruba . His mother likely recognized this ancestral connection and its potential benefits.

2. **Cultural and Economic Wisdom**
According to Davido, his mother told him at age 10: *"You will achieve great things but will grow greater if you keep in touch with my people. They will teach you how not to depend on your father’s wealth but also grow your own."* This suggests she ired Igbo entrepreneurial values and saw them as a model for self-reliance . The Igbo are widely recognized for their business acumen, and her advice may have been pragmatic.

3. **Spiritual and Emotional Connection**
Davido described his bond with Igbo culture as "spiritual," emphasizing the joy, love, and financial wisdom he experienced among Igbo communities. His mother might have wanted him to embrace this aspect of his identity for personal fulfillment .

4. **Countering Tribal Prejudice**
The advice also resonates in the context of Nigeria’s tribal tensions. By encouraging Davido to embrace his Igbo roots, his mother may have sought to instill a transcultural mindset, rejecting the ethnic divisions that often plague Nigerian society .

### Why Not Focus on Her Own Bini Tribe?
While Davido’s mother was Bini, her advice prioritized Igbo connections likely because:
- The Adeleke family’s Igbo lineage was more immediately influential (through Davido’s grandmother).
- Igbo networks dominate Nigeria’s entertainment and business spheres where Davido operates.
- She may have viewed Igbo cultural values as particularly complementary to his career .

This guidance ultimately shaped Davido’s identity, as seen in his marriage to Igbo wife Chioma and his public embrace of his dual heritage .

agadez007:
They think the opposite of Igbo is Yoruba,they always feel attacked when Igbo is being praised because to them it means the person is insulting Yoruba
They at the only ethnic group in Nigeria nay in the world that their election campaign is painting others Igbo so their people can hate that person and vote against that person,Jonathan,Jimi etc

Don't tell me that picture isn't photoshopped? If it's real...I don't know. Those people need help because their psych is messed.

Amudeneogu:
Things fall apart, , the same El- Rufai was dinnig with Tinubu in 2023 when he was nominated as a minister but because he didn't scale true at the sanate then there is an urban bandit controlling Nigeria. All of them are birds of the same feather..

It's exciting when bandits fight bandits

Different kinds of bandits in bandits corntree

bjdon:
Bad seeds can never yield good crops

Words on marble.

And delooting continua

They're on ram strike this year nau

Fynx:
The Yoruba man is so wicked with history. All that was bad was always by the Igbo and all that was good was by the Yoruba.

Real history. Banjo was given Biafran soldiers on his request to go liberate Yoruba land. He stopped at Benin and removed the . The time wasted in Benin meant Lagos already knew he was on his way as Alabi Isama reported that he radios to inform Lagos. On getting to Ore later he set up communication between him and other Yoruba with wooe soyinka as his messenger. Soyinka wrote about this in his his You must set forth at dawn. The book confirmed that Banjo planned a two way coup that would remove Ojukwu in Enugu and Gowon in Lagos. When Yoruba rewrite history like this it is because they believe Ojukwu should have allowed Banjo to kill him since he was a Yoruba. Ndi nzuzu

I agree with the bolded
They're a cunning tribe who actually BELIEVE their own lies. 97% of Nigeria's problem is traceable to them. Lies such as Fadeyi died for Ironsi and Igbo coup comes to mind. The Igbo coup mantra invented by the British wouldn't have lasted that long if they didn't fan its embers with their propaganda machine. If not that Igbo nationalists consistently bust their lies, they already believed the cowardly Fadeyi who was marked for death and who actually tried selling out Ironsi actually elected to die with him.

By the way, thanks for the source that shows Banjo was duplicitous.

samstradam:
^^You are wasting your time with someone like him....even if his grandfather was an eyewitness to it, he would spit in his face and call him a liar seeing as the narrative doesn't fit the hate he grew up in and obviously he's struggling to think for himself.

One thing I don't get about this Biafran coup is who was meant to take over from Ojukwu?

Surely after the recent events of the first coup (in Nigeria) no normal human being would plan a coup without being sure who they wanted to take over and install. No soldier (particularly Ifeajuna) would be stupid enough to make the same mistake twice. So definitely if they had someone that was to replace Ojukwu I would imagine it would be someone senior who they respect.....which leaves only Banjo.

So now I ask, does it make sense that Banjo, would plan a coup to put himself in power in Biafra? Could his brain have been so fried that he would think Igbo and other Easterners would listen to him and instruct their kith and kin to follow him to war/surrender?!

Someone should please educate me on who was meant to take over, because unless Banjo was planning a coup for his junior (which is also madness and totally unheard of in the military) I must say it really looks unbelievable that he would have been involved, that's if their was even a coup in the first place.

Personally, I'm neither convinced nor in doubt there was a coup. What was obvious is that Maduebo hinted that someone mooted the idea of a coup to him. I don't doubt the possibility. Who did the Germans plan to make Feurer if the coup against Hitler succeeded? War coup mostly have one objective: to end the war. Banjo and co may have been set up by the British to weaken Biafra. After all, Ojukwy didn't even know that Frederick Forsyth he made a confidante was a British spy. In any case, we can only speculate since the trial was military tribunal known for not being always fair.

On the flip side. Why were Banjo and Ifeajuna always linked to coup? I understand Ifeajuna's case since he never denied his involvement, T least in the first one. But Banjo... For a man to lose his first wife to death within a couple of months is pitiful, but losing his second wife in a couple of months is remarkable if not suspicious.

Having said that, what I found intriguing in the article is that the Yoruba also wanted separation from the north, but quickly ed up with them when it became obvious that there were spoils of war to enjoy enjoy in Biafra's defeat.

yarimo:
It's very unfortunate EFCC apply mercy on you

It's astounding the way you love evil. Hopefully you'll love reaping and eating from its fruit.

Nigeria thrives on Igbo marginalization. This is why I think it is a disservice to the Igbo for some of you to keep announcing the little progress the tribe has made under duress to enemies of the people. It is no less disingenuous calling out Igbo clans outside the southeast who have hitherto enjoyed relative peace from the pugnacious system. These people are reserved strength that have done well enough for the Igbo tribe in the face of opposition.

Normal. Slavemasters driving their slavers to deliver results is a normal occurrence. You see why the Chinese are smarter than blacks. How someone like chairman Mao cannot be excluded from China's success for ignoring the West in China's economic revolution? Can that happen in Africa? That's why they'll prefer Tinubu to Peter Obi whose mantra is from from consumption to production. That's why they prefer a Blaise to a Thomas Sankara. Africa is doomed unless these shackled of slavery are broken and people start rejecting western stooges for genuine homegrown African revolution against the slavemasters who have bled Africa for 600 years.

KnowAll:


Even the Sarduana of Sokoto said it as far back as 1960 not to think of what the Southern Cameroons think off. If a Northerner that does not live with could bottle up such fear and sentiment what do you think those living amongst u would think.

Of course. It's an uphill task competing with the Igbo. We are on the same page. Even if you search Google where it listed the five most brilliant African tribes, none of the other four listed with the Igbo is in Nigeria.

Having said that, it's wrong for you guys to project a people as evil because you can't meet up on a level playing field. Has Nigeria made progress since they pushed "Igbo domination" to the periphery? Can you point at one progress made by 200 million people since the white man left you to rule yourselves? It can only happen among blacks.

What you guys call domination is actually brilliance. Conduct a free and fair election, an Igbo wins because he's got more to offer. Conduct exams like waec and JAMB an Igbo wins because that's who he is. In fact, the fear of what you call domination is why you now have "glitch" in election and exams in Nigeria.

Nonsense. I hate to see Igbo praise themelves in this mediocre British contraption called Nigeria. What every sensible Igbo man or woman should be thinking of or working towards is how to have an independent Igbo homeland, not move at the mediocre pace of Nigeria and other African countries. Nigeria is a burden on Igbo. They've even invented a new technique to dim the stars of your children using "glitch" during exams and your leaders using "glitch" during election and you're here making empty noise. It's unfortunate that even Ohaneze doesn't know what it's doing. What I want to hear about is a roap to an Igbo-only country, an endowment fund for Igbo children to fly them abroad to study sciences and technology when Nigeria tries to stop them, a strategic plan for advancement irrespective of British and Nigerian punitive strategy, a systemic for Igbo small businesses in Igbo land from the middle belt to the south, a clear attempt to unify the Igbo nation splintered by divide and rule through states, not celebration of mediocrity. Don't you know that Igbo is the only African tribe capable of leading a real Africa renaissance? Not even the Europeans would want that to happen. And that's not gonna happen as long as Igbo has an albatross like Nigeria on their head.

KnowAll:


They had strong cultural ties to Cross River and Akwa Ibom than the people of central Cameroon. It was the overbearingness of the Igbo that made them choose to a more lame docile French Cameroonians thinking they could overcome the French unfortunately the tide turned against them.

The bolded is a lie. Lies fly in Nigeria whenever it is concocted against the Igbo. Fear of domination? Yes. Who isn't scared of Igbo domination? Which African tribe would want a level playing field with the Igbo? Is it the Yoruba who would block Igbo from voting or the Fulani? What people call domination is the fear that given a level playing field with Igbo that they can't meet up. Nigeria is what it is today because the country pushes mediocrity to the top. This is why the Igbo should push for an Igbo-only country and push the best among them to represent them. That's the only way an African country could become world-class.