Ndi Igbo and the Burden of Excellence

To the best of our poor efforts, Nigeria remains a society that frequently prioritises ethnic loyalty over merit. This is most evident in our politics at every level, and at the national level, ndi Igbo in Nigeria face a unique and paradoxical challenge, which I call the burden of excellence. While other major ethnic groups readily support their own candidates, even those with questionable character or credentials, ndi Igbo often hold their potential leaders to impossibly high standards, standards that the majority of individuals among them could not meet themselves. Ironically, this insistence on righteousness, competence, and near-flawlessness has become a major handicap for ndi Igbo in the Nigerian political sphere. Unlike their counterparts who rally behind mediocre or even evidently corrupt candidates simply because they are "one of their own", ndi Igbo scrutinize their own with relentless precision that most of the time borders on spite and sadism. This results in them often disqualifying 'viable' candidates before they even get a chance to compete. Worse still, other ethnic groups, knowing this tendency, apply exaggerated standards to Igbo candidates while excusing the failings of their own. The result? Ndi Igbo, one of Nigeria’s largest and most industrious ethnic groups, remain politically marginalised, not solely due to external opposition but also because of their own self-imposed barriers to collective advancement.  

Nigerian politics is deeply ethnicised, with the three largest groups, Igbo, Hausa-Fulani, and Yoruba, jostling for power. However, the rules of the game are not applied equally. The Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba political elite often prioritise ethnic and/or religious solidarity over competence, pushing forward candidates who may be corrupt, inept, or simply unremarkable, yet they face little internal resistance. Once such a candidate is anointed by their ethnic and/or religious power brokers, the rest fall in line, presenting a united front. 

For ndi Igbo, the opposite is true. An Igbo presidential aspirant is subjected to intense scrutiny,  not just from outsiders, but from their own people. Where other groups ask, "Is s/he one of us?" ndi Igbo ask, "Is s/he good enough?" and the definition of "good enough" is impossibly strict by the current Nigerian standard. The candidate must be philanthropic to a fault, morally upright, exceptionally brilliant, politically connected, nationally palatable to other ethnic groups (something other ethnic groups do not care about), and free from any past controversies of any kind. This is a standard no politician in Nigeria’s history could fully meet, yet it is demanded exclusively of Igbo candidates.   

This self-sabotaging perfectionism has real consequences. While other groups strategically present candidates, mostly deeply flawed ones, and rally behind them, ndi Igbo spend more time tearing down their own than building them up. By the time they agree on a candidate (if they ever do), the political momentum has shifted, and other ethnic blocs have consolidated behind their own choices.  

Worse, this internal demand for excellence is weaponized by outsiders. Knowing that ndi Igbo will hesitate to support an "imperfect" candidate, other groups amplify their criticisms, ensuring that even an Igbo candidate with better credentials than their own is deemed "unfit." Ndi Igbo, instead of defending their own, often join in the criticism, further weakening their political position.  

If ndi Igbo are to overcome this political stagnation, they must learn from the tactics of other ethnic groups, not by lowering their moral standards, but by understanding that politics is a game of strategy, not purity. Righteousness rarely wins elections in Nigeria; unity and strategic positioning do. Other ethnic groups win, not because their candidates are perfect, but because they prioritise representation and power first, then push for internal accountability later.  

Ndi Igbo must ask themselves: Why must our candidates be saints when others are allowed to be merely human...or even demons? This does not mean endorsing corruption or incompetence, but it means recognising that no leader in our Nigeria is flawless and that sometimes, good enough is good enough in the grand scheme of things.

The burden of excellence is a heavy one; one I am actually proud of and would love to see become a Nigerian value, but in this our Nigeria’s flawed political landscape, it has become an obstacle rather than an advantage for ndi Igbo. While other groups leverage ethnic loyalty to advance their interests, ndi Igbo remain trapped in a cycle of over-scrutiny and self-doubt. Until they learn to balance their high standards with pragmatic political strategy, they will continue to watch from the sidelines as others, with far less merit, take the lead and perpetuate their marginalisation in national affairs.

Excellence should be an aspiration, not a shackle. For ndi Igbo to claim their earned place in Nigeria's leadership, they must first unshackle themselves from the impossible demand for perfection in a society where goalposts are constantly moved from the field to the backyard of the pied piper.