OPINION: Itsekiri, Who Has Bewitched Thee?

There was a time when the Itsekiri nation stood tall—a beacon of political sophistication, cultural unity, and strategic foresight. Our leaders were not only visible; they were visionary. They shaped national conversations, secured development for our communities, and lifted our people through purposeful governance.

Itsekiri, Who Has Bewitched Thee?

Our past is adorned with the legacies of political giants. Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, an illustrious Itsekiri son and First Republic Minister of Finance, was a formidable force in the NCNC. He brought infrastructure, commerce, and education to our people, empowering generations through action—not rhetoric.

Then there was O.N. Rewane—pillar of the Action Group (AG) and later the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). His political influence transcended ethnic boundaries. His brother, Alfred Rewane, worked alongside Chief Obafemi Awolowo, shaping the progressive politics that once gave Nigeria its moral compass. Though their banners differed, their battle was the same—Itsekiri progress. That was the wisdom of our forebears: strategic plurality anchored in unity of purpose.

Today, we have forsaken that wisdom.

Instead of diversifying our political engagements, a troubling majority of Itsekiris have coalesced into a single party. This convergence dilutes our leverage, contradicts historical precedent, and erodes our influence. Where once we negotiated from strength across multiple fronts, we now whisper from the margins.

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Worse still is the vacuum of unifying leadership. Gone are the likes of Okotie-Eboh, the Rewanes, and Arthur Prest—men of stature who led with clarity, integrity, and long-term vision. Their leadership was principled, not transactional; nation-building, not self-serving.

Today, we suffer from fragmentation of purpose. Unlike other ethnic groups in Delta State, the Itsekiri are conspicuously silent amid ongoing political realignments. While others consolidate power and assert their interests, we drift—rudderless, leaderless, voiceless.

And within our political ranks, a toxic culture festers. Like crabs in a barrel, we pull each other down. Gossip and sabotage have replaced dialogue and strategy. Loyalty is to self, not to community. Opportunism has replaced service.

Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” We now practice unexamined politics—rootless, valueless, and ultimately fruitless. Plato warned that “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” We are paying that price.

But all is not lost—if we choose reform over regret.

We must return to the values that once defined us: service, integrity, and unity. Leadership must no longer be a reward for allegiance, but a responsibility to deliver. We must demand fitness and character in those who seek to represent us.

We must also invest in a new generation of Itsekiris—men and women with proven records in enterprise, governance, and advocacy. The older generation must mentor, not muzzle; elevate, not eclipse. If we fail to prepare tomorrow’s leaders, we condemn ourselves to a cycle of mediocrity.

Wole Soyinka declared, “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.” Our silence in the face of political decay is complicity. Frantz Fanon reminds us that “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.”

So what is the mission of this generation?

Surely, it is not betrayal. Surely, it is not endless infighting or inertia. As Aristotle observed, “Politics is the noblest of callings,” for it seeks the common good. If the Itsekiri are to rise again, we must rediscover the politics of principle—of harmony over hostility, vision over vanity.

Itsekiri, Who Has Bewitched Thee?

The truth, though painful, is clear:

It is not the outsider. It is ourselves—our compromises, our complacency, our silence.

But every spell can be broken. Redemption begins with truth, takes shape in courage, and is sustained by collective resolve.

Let that work begin—now.

— Dr. Michael Tidi is an Economist, Lawyer, and Writer. He is a former Chairman of Warri South Local Government Council and writes from Houston, Texas.

mi*******@***il.com.