Oduduwa News

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has described as untrue the statement credited to Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, that the Igbo cannot be trusted with the office of the Nigerian presidency.

Ohanaeze noted that Oba Akanbi’s attack on the Igbo was not based on any verifiable evidence but rather on self-serving interests.

Oba Akanbi had, in a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, said that “no Nigerian will feel secure in the hands of a leader whose ethnic attachment deprived other Nigerians of their rights”.

He further accused the Igbo of “preventing people from the other parts of the country from acquiring properties in their domain”, adding that “the style by the Southeasterners is barbaric”.

Reacting to the allegations on Tuesday, Ohanaeze President General, Prof. George Obiozor, described the accusations as untrue, and advised Oba Akanbi to “undergo some tutelage under some more experienced cosmopolitan urbane intelligent monarchs”, stating that a well-adjusted traditional ruler is known by being open-minded towards all, especially people of other ethnic groups that may be found in his domain.

Obiozor in a statement issued through the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said, “It is self-evident that Nigeria is a beleaguered country that urgently needs nation-building; inflammatory and incendiary remarks from monarchs and the highly placed are antithetical to peace and unity of Nigeria.

“In promoting his preferred candidate, he has committed a fallacy of hasty generalisation when he stated that ‘the style by southeasterners is barbaric; the Igbo cannot be trusted with power’, among others.

“Surely, such prejudice, innuendo and vitriolic group vilifications against the entire Igbo nation is most unreflective of a royal father whose primary duty is to sow seeds of unity in his kingdom and beyond. For the avoidance of doubt, the Igbo are adventurous nation builders; they are found in all parts of Nigeria and beyond.

“The wild claims that the Igbo prevent people from the other parts of the country from acquiring properties in their domain or have an obnoxious policy of depriving other Nigerians of their rights cannot be substantiated. On the other hand, it is inconceivable that a group that builds modern houses in all parts of the country will prevent other ethnicities from building in their homestead.

“One would think that the morbid fabrication of falsehood is terrible mischief, only for the uninitiated. What else? Oba Akanbi is drawn to his paradox, where he acknowledged the damage done to the Igbo during the Nigerian civil war and at the same time condemning the agitation by Igbo youth, such as the ESN for their clamour for inclusiveness based on equity and justice after about 53 years of the Nigerian Civil War,” the statement read in part.

Leader of Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has said that presidential aspirants from the South-West geopolitical zone including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, should forget their presidential ambitions.

He said it was the turn of the South-East to produce Nigeria’s next President after the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in May 2023.

The elder statesman made his position known in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday.

According to him, it is an injustice for a South-West President to emerge in 2023 after ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo from Ogun State had ruled from 1999 to 2007; while Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, also from Ogun State, has been in government since May 2015 and would have spent eight years in power by May 2023.

The 94-year old elder statesman added that the South-South zone has also had a shot at both President and Vice-President positions with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan between 2007 and 2010 (as VP) and from 2010 to 2015 (as President).

Adebanjo, however, said for Nigeria to have another President, the country must first be secured.

The nonagenarian said, “Right now, is there a country for them to be President? There must be one country first before you can talk of an election. Is this the country Jonathan handed over to Buhari? Whether a Southern or a Northern candidate, let us unite everyone. We can’t get everyone united until we change this constitution.

“Are you safe? Talk about security. How am I sure that I won’t be shocked when I go to the police station, when electoral officers, soldiers, and policemen are being shot dead and I can’t travel to Maiduguri safely?

“All those who are clamouring for Presidency, be it Jagaban (Tinubu) or Osinbajo, they should assure us of our safety first, that the country is safe, that we are one, then we talk of who is going to be President. They should forget about their ambitions now until there is safety. Nobody can go to the South-East now, and we are all living in denial.”

Asked if he was supporting Tinubu, Osinbajo, or any President from the South-West, the Afenifere leader said, “How can I back a South-West candidate? That is not equity. Has Obasanjo not done so for eight years? Has Osinbajo not done eight years as VP? Has Jonathan not done five years as President? Is the South-East not part of Nigeria?

“We want peace and equity. It is the turn of the South-East. I don’t talk ambiguously. It is the South-East that the thing must go; there is no doubt about that but my anxiety now is that before we say, South-East, have we got a country? Let us settle that before we say the South-East is the answer. I am not ambivalent about it at all.”

He is entitled to his opinion, say VP, ex-Lagos gov’s camps

Pro-Tinubu and pro-Osinbajo groups have however expressed their disagreements with the statement made by the Afenifere leader.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the pro-Tinubu group, South West Agenda 2023 group, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, said the rotation principle of the presidency is between the North and South of the country.

He said, “Chief Adebanjo is our leader and a man I respect. He is now in his 90s and has paid his own dues; we are their followers and we are also entitled to our own views and our view is that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should go ahead and contest the presidency.

“The rotation principle in Nigeria is between the North and the South and whenever it rotates to any of the regions, whether South or North, every of the geopolitical zones in that region are free to contest the presidency. Now, it is the turn of the South and we absolutely believe that anybody in the South, including those from the South-West, are free to throw their hats into the ring and challenge for the presidency.

“This is exactly what Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing and he is enjoying tremendous support not only in the South-West which is his own base, but throughout the entire length and breadth, nook and cranny of Nigeria and therefore, no person will sit in one corner and say Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should forget his presidential ambition. Certainly, he will contest for the presidency.”

The Convener, Progressive Lawyers for Osinbajo, Dr Kayode Ajulo, also explained that the opinion of Adebanjo does not indicate the position of the Afenifere group.

He said, “The Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not about making emotive statements. I know that if Afenifere wants to say anything, it has to be decided on. Afenifere is not a conclave of what people don’t know what is being done there. The way we have been doing it is that the issue would be deliberated upon by Afenifere and there would be a communique collectively passed. I ask, where is the communiqué of Afenifere saying this?

“For some time now, I have not seen such things from Afenifere. I have not received any notification to this effect and no one else has confirmed receiving any invitation. Baba Adebanjo is entitled to his opinion. But where is Baba Reuben Fasoranti? Where is Baba Sehinde Arogbofa? Where is Chief Sola Ebiseni? Where is Olu Falae’s opinion on this issue? This is not an issue that only one person will just make a sweeping remark. Where did these men deliberate on this issue?

“I am worried that it is being termed Afenifere’s position. Afenifere has procedures, ways and manners such an issue is to be discussed. As it is, I see more of Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s personal opinion which he is entitled to, but please it is clear how the President of Nigerians should emerge.”

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has declared that he can trust any Southeasterner to be the President of Nigeria.

His stand is coming at a time the South-East is demanding for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, on the basis of equity.

He noted that the sit-at-home order issued by the members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) was not only inimical to their survival but also to the growth of the nation.

Oba Abdulrosheed also advocated for a rethink by the South Easterners to their approach.

The monarch held that no Nigerian will feel secured in the hands of a leader whose ethnic attachment deprived other Nigerians their rights.

In a statement through Alli Ibraheem, his Chief Press Secretary, the Oluwo stated that the failure of the South Easterners to change their approach will amount to chasing shadow on their political journey of producing Nigeria’s President.

While acknowledging the damage done to Igbos by the Nigerian civil war, he enjoined the south easterners to rescind on their attitude of barring people from other parts of the country from owning properties in their domain.

He insisted that the policy was not only detrimental to their political strength, but also a deficit to the economic unity of Nigeria.

According to him, “The civil war wounds meted on south easterners is a weak factor to institutionalize policies capable of tearing the nation apart.

“I have people from across Nigeria in Iwo, including the South Easterners. They do not only have their businesses but also built their houses and own farm lands. Such is not only peculiar to Iwo but to other parts of the country, except the South-East. A Nigerian in Nigeria should be able to own land anywhere.

“The style by the South easterners is barbaric. Such is not only detrimental to their economic viability but also to their political recognition. As a traditional ruler, I can’t trust any South easterner as my President.

“You can’t be a leader on sectional interest. With such unsophisticated, primitive and uncivilized thinking, no Nigerian from other zones will vote a south easterner as their President.”

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has finally secured the nod of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) to contest for the second term.

The GAC is the highest decision-making organ of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos led by the National Leader and presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Daily Trust learnt that the GAC during its meeting at the State House, Marina, on Monday afternoon approved second term for Sanwo-Olu, thereby ending speculation about his second term.

A GAC member, who confirmed the development to Daily Trust, said members were unanimous that Sanwo-Olu had done well to deserve a second term.

“Unlike when there was a controversy and division during the tenure of Governor Babatunde Fashola, Sanwo-Olu was unanimously endorsed by all GAC members and he had been asked to start preparations for his re-election,” the source said.

It will be recalled that Sanwo-Olu’s predecessor, former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, failed to get a second term in 2019 after falling out with the party’s leadership.