Nnamdi Kanu is a phenomenon. Underrate his influence & reach to your own miscalculation. He buried both his parents today & Umuahia is on lock-down. Delegates came from everywhere in solidarity. I still think the influence is not being properly utilised.
Traditional influence is acquired through control of the levers of dispensation of favour. Political influence is hinged on the promise of political accommodation. I'm yet to see what NK can do for this multitude yet they flock to him in their numbers. Study-worthy stuff.
He is presumably not physically present at the funeral yet delegations chartered hundreds of buses & have been camped at their own expense around his village for days now. All the buses carry originating banners. Far-flung locations. In total solidarity.
His followers are known to be spread worldwide. They boast of how much they willingly contribute to his cause. Multiplied by the number of local & foreign followers, that should amount to a tidy steady stream. I'm not seeing the end-game but they're madly optimistic. Hmmn.
I have made known my reservations about his methods & strategy or lack of it thereof but I'm obviously in the minority. The majority who believe in him do so fanatically. The hard-handed approach of the FG is also contributing to his popularity. How will this play out?
There is an army of people of Igbo origin who vehemently insist that the realisation of Biafra is nigh. They will not be convinced otherwise. You can reasonably & rationally scoff at their beliefs but they hold tenaciously to it. Amazing something.
I've also seen a method to their coordination. Information is passed round through informal channels. Most of the attendees came in Okpu Agu. They were largely civil but with the heavy presence of security men, tensions have been high. Praying no incident.
We used to dismiss the Biafran agitators as the lows of the society who are frustrated but that label can no longer hold. A semblance of intelligent organisation is obvious. Well-heeled people are also part of the movement. It certainly bears close watching as we progress.
In all, this is a movement that can be parlayed into something much more potent than the heckling of the FG but like I said, whatever the leaders are doing is resonating positively with the followers. The IPOB family is well & truly intact. We will see how events unfold.
Udo.
Udo.
