Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmed Makarfi, has accused the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu of holding Nigerians and the country’s economy to ransom through his style of agitation.
The former Kaduna State Governor made the claim while featuring on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily on Friday.
Makarfi noted that the IPOB leader’s approach was worst than that of the northern youths who asked Igbos to vacate their region.
The PDP Chieftain made the above claims while reacting to why the Arewa youths had not received enough condemnation for issuing the quit notice against Igbos.
He said, “What he (Kanu) is doing is different from what the youth in the North have done. The youth in the North, may be 10 or 15, did a press conference.
“Nnamdi Kanu is holding people to ransom, bringing economic activities to a standstill, holding what will look like a mini rally. None of that is happening in any part of this country.
“All the leaders in the South-East have said yes we have concerns but the way you are going about it is wrong.
“The northern boys are just press (sic) and they dispersed, period. I am not in support of what they did but I am talking of the manner of their action.
“Whereas Nnamdi Kanu and his people are consistently holding people to economic hostage and at a particular time, they held the South-East down for a day.
“You don’t find such not just in the North but any other part of the country. You cannot behave that way.”
He, however, commended leaders of the South-East for condemning Kanu’s agitation, saying he has no authority to speak for the Igbos.
Makarfi said agitations are legal but must be done with decorum, devoid of hate speeches.
Noting that agitation cannot be wished away, he urged leaders of South East to call on government to implement the 2014 confab report.
“We cannot wish away any agitation, but as part of the South-East, let them come together and approach the government for the implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference report and demand an amendment of the part that is of concern to the South-East but that amendment must also be generally accepted by Nigerians,” he added.
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