Kesaandu Kingsley: City Boys’ Show of Shame in Owerri: An insult to the ideology of an Igbo man

Last Saturday, some prominent sons of Igboland brought the son of the President, Seyi Tinubu, to Owerri, the capital of Imo State, in what looked like an attempt to convince Ndi Imo to stand by a mandate that many Nigerians already consider shaky.

Everyone has the right to promote a preferred candidate. Politics allows that. But such promotion must be done with respect for the intelligence and dignity of the people. What happened in Owerri was the exact opposite.

The most disturbing part of the entire event was the careless statement made by the coordinator of the movement, who reportedly said that our people “lack knowledge.” That statement alone shows how disconnected the leadership of the movement is from the people they claim to be mobilizing. It is an unfortunate blunder, and the political consequences of such arrogance may become clear when the time comes for the people to speak through the ballot.

More importantly, the entire approach of the movement reveals a deep misunderstanding of the Igbo mindset. An Igbo man is not a beggar. An Igbo man does not celebrate being reduced to a recipient of token gifts thrown around for political showmanship. The Igbo spirit is built on dignity, enterprise, and empowerment, teaching a man how to fish, not throwing fish at him to score political points.

If the City Boys Movement was truly sincere and not merely engaging in political theatre, they would have pursued initiatives that create lasting impact. What was displayed last Saturday, the items distributed and the style of the event, are things ordinary individuals already do quietly in their communities without media noise.

Considering the economic hardship and infrastructure challenges facing our people caused by the poor leadership of the man they are promoting, many expected something more meaningful. Since their principal has failed to significantly improve electricity supply in the region, they could have assisted communities by offsetting electricity debts with distribution companies. That would have brought real relief to struggling households and businesses.

They could also have invested in fixing the rice processing facilities in places like Ihitte/Uboma, creating jobs and boosting food production for Ndi Imo instead of sharing some bags of rice to the people. With the resources available to them, they could have adopted and constructed at least one rural road in each federal constituency. These are the kinds of interventions that would earn genuine respect from the people.

Instead, what we witnessed was a spectacle that many saw as an attempt to treat Ndi Imo as people who could easily be swayed by token gestures. That perception alone is deeply insulting.

If anything, the delegation should have first come with humility and offered an apology to Ndi Imo, acknowledging that the leadership they represent has not met the expectations of many people in the region.

The ideology of a typical Igbo man stands in complete contrast to what was displayed in Owerri last weekend. It is painful because it suggests that some of our own people are willing to undermine the dignity of their people for political convenience.

One must honestly ask: was that truly the best message they could present to their principal about what the Igbo people deserve?

Ndi Igbo are grateful people. We appreciate genuine gestures of goodwill. But we do not tolerate ridicule, disrespect, or political manipulation disguised as empowerment.

As citizens of this country, everyone has the constitutional right to support any candidate of their choice. However, as a people who believe in the development and future of Ala Igbo, we must always place the interest and dignity of our land above every political calculation.

May Ala Igbo prevail.

Kenkwo Kesaandu Kingsley (KKK), a public affairs analyst, writes from Umuezegwu, Ihitte/Uboma LGA, Imo State.