Retrospect: The Asaba Accord, Grand Betrayal, And Heroism Of G5 Governors

The first time the southern governors met was in 2001, in Lagos, under the aegis of former Governor Bola Tinubu.

In 2005, former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani hosted the Southern governors in Enugu. Unfortunately, that meeting was seen as a front for the endorsement of the third term ambition of certain political office holders at that time.

Perhaps, such a controversy and attendant mistrust could be the reason why the group went into hibernation, and would only resurface on October 25, 2017, twelve years later in Lagos — or maybe it was something deeper? Who knows?

In all these meetings, the central rallying points in the submissions of the governors was the need for restructuring, devolution of powers, and the issue of power rotation.

The governors vehemently argued that though Nigeria presents itself as a federation of states, but that the country has been governed like a unitary state with the central government acting like a bully.

The governors were determined to look beyond ethnicity, religious and political affiliations, in order to frontally confront the issues that militated against the actualisation of their autonomy, equity, justice and fairness, within the context of the Nigerian federation.

The sudden upspring of unity of purpose amongst the southern governors came as a surprise to so many political watchers because unlike the North, the South, after the amalgamation of the Southern and Nothern protectorate of the country in 1914, was divided into two political regions, the Western and Eastern Regions, creating dissimilar political philosophies, essentially for the main purpose of political survival.

The burden of culture and tribe also suppressed the unity that geographical location would have naturally bestowed on the 17 states from Nigeria’ southern region, and it became a case of "every man for himself".

It is that disposition that has kept the southern states politically backward in comparison to the northern states that have strategically maintained political power with the aid of what I call "advanced political engineering".

The 19 Northern states share the same political, economic and cultural philosophies, and that is possibly the reason why their governors hold regular meetings where issues of common interests are mindfully tabled and discussed, and the rest is history.

Perhaps, that is what spurred the southern governors, having noticed the conspicuous gap between them and their nothern colleagues, because through the famous Asaba Accord popularly known as the "Asaba Declaration", a stronger bond was forged.

The Southern governors, comprising South South, South East and South West, where hosted by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, on May 11, 2021 in Asaba. In that meeting, a new way of thinking was born.

The famous declaration consisted of eleven points in which the governors raised vital issues about the future of Nigeria, particularly the southern region. They requested for a national dialogue and ordered a ban on open grazing and the migration of cattle by foot into the southern region in order to curb the farmer –herder conflicts in the country, etc.

The governors affirmed the unity of Nigeria, and according to them "the peoples of Southern Nigeria remain committed to the unity of Nigeria on the basis of justice, fairness, equity and oneness and peaceful co-existence between and among its peoples with a focus on the attainment of shared goals for economic development and prosperity."

But it seems that the Asaba Accord was just the beginning of the much needed change in the attitude of southern Nigeria towards the apparent political marginalisation that that caged the region since the union came into being.

This is because all the governors of southern Nigeria, during a follow-up to the Asaba Accord, on July 5, 2021 in Lagos, unanimously declared that the next president of the country should come from the southern region in 2023; the Asaba Accord was the much needed catalyst in the liberation of Southern Nigeria from political slavery!

And in the words of the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu: "What happened yesterday in Asaba in no distant time will be seen as the “Asaba Accord”. It is the beginning of a new dawn, a new dawn not only for Southern Nigeria, but a new dawn for the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria irrespective of their ethnic inclination or religious background.

“A situation where governors of different political persuasions, different ethnic and of course different religious inclination were able to come together in one accord which is why I call it the Asaba Accord to discuss on how we can make progress and doing so patriotically, is indeed the birth of a new Nigeria, he posited."

However, in the midst of all the excitement, the spirit of Judas Iscariot kept lurking behind — patiently waiting for the right moment to pounce on the accord, and wreck havoc! Indeed, it is a very effective tool used to cause disunity by mortal forces of oppression in any progressive human setting.

In today's world, Iscariot's behavior is almost a celebrated trait, but the questions that loom large are these: "How long shall we continue in betrayal? Why is the interest of the whole always sacrificed for selfish interests? Who was this Judas? Your answer is as good as mine!

However, like my father used to say, "Bad things happen so that good things can happen", and likewise the betrayal of the Asaba Accord led to the formation of the G5 Governors comprising of Nyesom Wike (Rivers state); Seyi Makinde (Oyo state); Samuel Ortom (Benue state); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia state), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State).

These five governors are the heroes of southern Nigeria, because they stood their ground, even at their in their demand for equity, justice and fairness, and today, the South has a firm seat at the leadership table of Nigeria.

The G5 Governos also known as "The Integrity Group", are the governors of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), that refused to support Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP, because they believed that it was the turn of the south to produce the President.

They posited that Atiku Abubakar becoming President after eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari would amount to two consecutive presidents from the north, negating equity, justice, and fairness.

Their position was strengthened by the zoning principle enshrined in the PDP constitution, and the governors bluntly refused to support the emergence of their party's presidential candidate, in the general elections.

They also demanded the resignation of the party chairman, Iyorcha Ayu, on the premise that Atiku and Ayu, both presidential candidates and party chairman, are from the northern part of Nigeria, this arrangement also negates inclusivity.

The collective of the five governors was a powerful grouping, hence they gained prominence in the heart of the people. Little wonder Atiku Abubakar lost in their various states, leading to the emergence of President Bola Tinubu, thereby fulfilling the aspiration birthed by the Asaba Accord. What else is heroism?