The apex Igbo group, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, yesterday, told president Mohammadu Buhari, to approve the exist of the southeast region from Nigeria as requested by the Coalition of Northern Nigeria groups.
Northern groups had approached Abuja Federal High Court with request that the National Assembly should be coerced by the Court before their conclusion of the ongoing constitutional amendment to allow the southeast to exit from Nigeria.
The plaintiffs, led by Nastura Ashir Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’I, Abdul-Aziz Sulaiman and Aminu Adam, said their reason for the request was to curtail violence and destruction as a result of the agitation for secession championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
However, this did not sit well with the Engr. Chidi-Ibeh led Ohaneze, as the Secretary-General of the Igbo group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, issued a statement in Abakaliki describing the Northern groups request as a trick which is however accepted by Ohaneze.
“We are supporting the Igbo lawyers led by Chuks Maoma, SAN, on their verdict to join the suit, as the Northern Groups are sponsored by politicians to toe this destructive routes”.
“Ohaneze applauds the coalition of Northern Nigeria Groups, for indirectly divulging that there are clandestine conspiracies from the North to push Southeast out of Nigeria.
“The exponents of these demonic and erratic campaigns to exit the southeast from Nigeria were sponsored by Northern Governors, and we are urging the Federal Government to assent to their requests since it appears that south-easterners are no longer acceptable and protected by the Federal authorities in policies and practices.
“All these shenanigans are afraid of IGBO succeeding President Buhari in 2023. The Northern coalition forces are considered to be disciples of late Mallam Maitama Sule, who was the first to admit that southeast deserves to succeed Buhari in 2023. We therefore caution these groups to know that the Igbo are already on ground, and we are open to all options either to remain as part of Nigeria or Federal Government to assent to the Northern conspiracy theories of exiting the southeast from Nigeria. It’s high time Federal Government negotiates with Igbo because Nigeria Unity is negotiable”, he noted.