Chekwas Okorie, founder of the Igbo Agenda Dialogue (IAD), has shared how former President Goodluck Jonathan let down the South-East despite the region’s massive support during the 2011 elections.
In an interview with Independent Newspaper, Okorie recalled that Jonathan got over seven million votes from the Igbo in 2011, the highest contribution from any geopolitical zone.
However, by the time the 2015 elections approached, Igbo leaders had expected Jonathan to appreciate their loyalty with visible federal projects in the region.
He explained that the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who led an Ohanaeze delegation, confronted Jonathan with this demand.
“They reminded him that the Igbo stood firmly behind him, yet the South-East could not boast of a single federal presence. Okorie said Jonathan’s response left the leaders discouraged.
The president reportedly told Ekwueme and his team that the past could not be reversed and asked them to vote for him again, promising to solve the problems in his second term”.
Okorie said when Ekwueme returned with Jonathan’s response, many Igbo leaders were unhappy. They had expected Jonathan to at least start meaningful infrastructure projects, even if unfinished, to show good faith.
This disappointment, he noted, was clearly seen during the 2015 elections, when Jonathan’s support in the South-East dropped sharply from over seven million votes in 2011 to around three million.
According to Okorie, the episode taught the region a hard lesson that politics should be played with strategy and planning, not just emotion or blind loyalty.
