Suit seeking South-East exit from Nigeria: Igbo leaders, groups knock northern elders | NN NEWS

■ Nobody can push us out of Nigeria – Ohanaeze ■ It’s ploy to deny us 2023 Presidency –INC ■ Your suit deceitful – ASETU, ADF

Prominent Igbo leaders and groups have pooh-poohed the suit filed by some Northern elders asking the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to compel the National Assembly to remove the South-East geopolitical zone from Nigeria before the ongoing constitutional amendment is concluded. 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), Association of South East Town Unions (ASETU) and others were emphatic that no one could push Igbo out of Nigeria, stating that the ethnic group had invested in Nigeria and paid greater price than them. 

The Northern elders, led by Nastura Ashir Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’I, Abdul-Aziz Sulaiman and Aminu Adam had averred in a supporting affidavit that their action was informed by the need to stem the tide of violence and destruction being allegedly caused by the agitation for secession by the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). 

They claimed that they did not want a repeat of the 1967 to 1970 civil war in Nigeria that cost the nation many innocent lives and property worth billions of naira. 

Listed as defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly. 

Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo had fixed November 1 for hearing of the suit. 

But Igbo Lawyers Association (ILA) in a swift reaction, applied to the court to join it as defendants in the suit. 

Leader of ILA, Chief Chuks Muoma (SAN) told Saturday Sun that his group’s sought to be joined as defendants in the suit to forestall a miscarriage of judgment against Ndigbo. 

Muoma, who is the immediate past legal adviser of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, and ex-counsel to the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, said the action was taken to ensure that the Igbo were not short-changed. 

“We want to ensure that Igbo are protected in any decision on their fate in Nigeria. We have been marginalized for so long, so, we want to make sure that the interest being shown by these people are not ‘Greek gift’.” 

“We want to be there, where the matter would be handled by the court and want to know the actual reason for doing so,” he said. 

Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) said it was within the rights of the Northern Elders to go to court on any issue of their choice, but noted that the Northern elders might be acting a script. 

ADF spokesman, Abia Onyike noted, though, that the Igbo were not looking back on their push for self-determination. 

He said: “As to their motivation, I believe that they may be acting out a script. Be that as it may, I believe that Ndigbo are serious about their quest for self-determination. They want it to the extent of their freewill. Forcing Ndigbo out of Nigeria does not arise. They want an autonomous republic within the African Union because they are tired of the crisis-ridden Nigerian federation.” 

National President of ASETU, Chief Emeka Diwe also said: “Nobody can be pushed out but if we choose to leave, they should give us opportunity for peaceful separation using referendum,” Diwe said. 

Apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had during President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent visit to Imo State declared that nobody could push the Igbo out of the country despite several threats from secessionists. 

President General of Ohanaeze, George Obiozor had noted that the President’s visit to the zone would form a new foundation for dialogue on critical issues concerning them. 

Obiozor said: “Ndigbo are committed to Nigerian unity and there is news for those trying to push us out of Nigeria. Ndigbo in Nigeria are like fish in the ocean. No matter how rough the storm is, it cannot drive the fish out of the ocean.” 

Elsewhere, Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe and Presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2019 general elections; Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, had said that no amount of threat would stop the Igbo from demanding for fairness, equity and justice in the country. 

Chairing the inauguration of Igbonine, a new sociocultural organization in Enugu, recently, Abaribe said the Igbo had always served as the glue binding the nation. 

“We are the largest domestic investors in Nigeria. We are the most travelled people in Nigeria, we don’t want to leave Nigeria but some people are trying to push us out of the country and the reason they are doing that is what we don’t know. We have a document that manifests a sectional approach to governance and we are not afraid to say it. 

“Even in the past that Boko Haram and bandits, very well known to have devastated parts of Nigeria, nobody has designated them as terrorists. But when our boys said they wanted a referendum, it was very quick and easy for the Federal Government to designate them a terrorist organization,” he noted. 

The senator said the minimum demand of Ndigbo was restructuring, adding that the Igbo were not second-class citizens but have been pushed to the fringes. He declared that the Igbo were qualified to get any position in the land including the Presidency. 

Also, Moghalu who was guest speaker at the event while treating the theme: ‘Igbonine, what do we want,’ stated that what the Igbo want now is to continue to resist any hegemonic worldviews in Nigeria politics and assert their own political relevance; look inwards to reverse the impact of negative value system; insist on power rotation to Southern Nigeria in 2023 with a unique argument for a President of Southeast extraction and refrain from election boycott. 

Igbo National Council (INC) has described the suit by the Northern elders as a ploy to deny the South East the Presidency in 2023. 

Its President, Chilos Godsent said: “But the INC welcomes that initiative and urge the National Assembly to pass the bill permitting a referendum for the South East zone of Nigeria before the end of 2022.” 

Elder statesman and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ahamba, said, however, that what the northern group was pursuing wasn’t attainable and would amount to a futile effort. 

“No reasonable court or the National Assembly can attend to such request; it is not possible,” the legal luminary stated. (The Sun)

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