EXPLOSIVE!!! Biafra will Fail – Elder Statesman Maitama Sule

EXPLOSIVE!!! Biafra will Fail – Elder
Statesman Maitama Sule Elder statesman, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, is not known for granting many interviews; rather, the media gets update on his thoughts from his grand public speeches.

However, on this occasion, he was willing to speak exclusively to Daily Sun. In this interview, he remarked that the true story of the Civil War in the country was yet to be told.

He spoke on the recent efforts by some people in the South-east to resurrect the Biafra Republic, saying they would not succeed. Excerpt:
What is your personal reaction to the huge story of corruption that is prevalent in Nigeria today. How do you see it?

I see it as something that is very, very bad! I have told you, I have painted the picture black, but I have not lost hope. I have faith in
God. And Nigerians, both Muslims and Christians are good followers of their religions and I hope that they would practice what they have been taught in their religions: he who has faith in God does not lose hope in Him. I am, therefore, optimistic– I am not a pessimist- that all the ugly things that are now around us would one day come to an end, by the grace of God. I have seen it in the past; I saw so many crises, before Independence, on Independence and after Independence. We have been able to overcome them, by the grace of God. Sometimes, it was a miracle how we were able to overcome them, some of these crises.

I saw the crisis of the Independence Motion of Chief Enahoro in 1952 or 53, which
almost broke the country apart. That was during the colonial days. He brought this motion asking for Independence immediately and the Northern members of the House who were representatives
amended the motion to read, ” as soon as practicable.” This did not go down with our Southern brothers and they organized all
sorts of things against them. The Northern legislators were stoned, they were abused, and indeed, they had to be escorted to Kaduna by the police. Later Chief Akintola
was sent to Kano to give a lecture, to explain to the people in the North that their representatives did not want Independence for the country. The lecture was never held and that was the reason we had the very first political riot in Kano. But soon after, we were able to put these things behind our back and our leaders came together and they started discussing the real issues of
Independence. We overcame. Then, there was the census crisis in the House of Representatives in 1958 or so.

The census figures were not accepted. For about a week, there was heated debate in the House, the country was about to break
to pieces. Like a miracle, one morning the Prime Minister made a short a statement, a short statement lasting not more than five minutes. And that brought to an end the heated crisis. Again, we were able to over come. In 1959, after the Independence elec­tions, no one party had the overall majority to enable it form the government alone. But NPC had more seats than either of the two parties , Action Group or NCNC.

People started talking or urging the two southern parties, Action Group and NCNC, to form an
alliance. If they did, they would be able to form a government. But some well-meaning people waded into the crisis. They said look, if you do that, you will elbow out the North.

The NPC represents the North; it is more than half of the country in size and population. If you did that, you will elbow out the North and the North might think of
breaking away from the country. They told Zik, “ Look you were in the forefront for the struggle of the independence of the country
and you wanted an independent , united Nigeria. If you did this , you will be breaking up Nigeria. That was not your wish.” And Zik
did the right thing, he agreed to enter into alliance with the NPC.
He agreed to surrender the prime
ministership with the executive power to the NPC. That saved the country again. In 1964, we had a controversial election, the two main political parties – Action Group and NCNC, boycotted the elections. The NPC and the UNDP, a new party formed by Chief Akintola after he had broken away from the Action Group, went to the polls. Akintola was the premier of the West. So the West and the North went to the polls. The East and Mid -West did not and we claimed that we had
won the elections. The President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, according to the Constitution was the one to invite the leader of the party or
governing party or majority party to form the government. He said that he would not because elections were not conclusive, or the elections were not conducted properly.

The country became ungovernable. Some well-meaning people waded into the crisis and they brought the leaders of the parties, NCNC and NPC together and they agreed that
parties that did not hold the elections should go and conduct elections- in the Mid