Unrestrained outbursts by some Northern groups are currently threatening to rupture the aged long political alliance between the North and Eastern Nigeria.
A coalition of Northern Groups has even filed a case asking the court to compel Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to hasten the exit of the Igbo region out of Nigeria.
They pleaded that this should be done before the conclusion of the ongoing amendment to Nigeria’s constitution.
The secession request was contained in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/538/2021 instituted by the group of elders and politicians from the North led by Nastura Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’I, Abdul-Aziz Sulaiman and Aminu Adam.
In their suit, they argued allowing the Igbo to secede would end violence and destruction in the South-East. They also explained that this will stop the repeat of the 1967 to 1970 civil war in Nigeria that led to wanton destruction of lives and property.
They equally said this would put an end to the agitations by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra led by Nnamdi Kanu.
Besides the Coalition, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and Northern Elders Forum (NEF) have been coming down heavily on Ndigbo in spite of the fact that they were allies in the First and Second republics.
For instance, seven years after the Nigerian Civil War; an Igbo, Dr Alex Ekwueme, emerged as vice president of Nigeria. Chief Edwin Ume Ezeoke also emerged as Speaker of the House Representatives.
Apparently worried, Ohanaeze Ndigbo wants the North to desist from fanning the embers of disunity, and allow President Muhammadu Buhari to do his job and release the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
Secretary-General of the Chidi Ibe faction of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in a statement noted that the unity of the country is superior to all the reasons that the Northern groups have given on why Buhari should allow Kanu to face trial before considering granting him presidential pardon and amnesty.
”It’s an absurdity and nonsensical for the Northern leadership to resort to pettiness, in all issues concerning the southeast, especially when it is in the best interests of the country and her survival.
“It is prerogatives of the Presidency to either choose from actions that will lead to the disintegration of the country or retreat from the promotion of nepotism which was responsible for the actions of IPOB to respond to the areas of the inadequacies of the federal government especially in handling the activities of killer herdsmen in the southeast”.
He argued that if Kanu is not released, it is obvious that ACF has descended from its esteemed position of admiration to become overnight street urchins by permitting the terrorist activities of Boko Haram and bandits to becloud their sense of reasoning from seeing that only the release of Nnamdi Kanu will secure a stronger United Nigeria.
“Their opposition to the release of IPOB leader has automatically put ACF as an exponent of Nigeria’s breakup. Buhari is not doing Ndigbo any favour over Kanu but is a must decision to save his government from the accusations of abuse of human rights and clampdown on the critics of his government when the real terrorists are being pampered.
”Igbo leaders led by Pa Mbazulike Amaechi offered Buhari a soft landing to save the federal government from further embarrassment before the international community”, he said, pointing out that President Buhari is doing his administration a favour, not Ndigbo by releasing Nnamdi Kanu, as the international community is watching if he will succumb to the pressure of the North not to correct the lapses.
