Stop excluding South-East in your government – Igbo leaders warn Buhari

The umbrella association of political leaders in the South-East, Igbo Politi­cal Forum, IPF, has expressed concern over the recent appointments made by the All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal government, stressing that it was skewed against the South-East geo-political zone.

The National Secretary-General of IPF, Chief Chyna Iwuanyanwu, who made this known yesterday, warned that the exclusion of Ndigbo or any section of Nigeria under the evolving political arrangement in the country defies the spirit and letter of the Nigerian Constitution and the Principle of Federal Character.

He further observed that the exclusion would complicate the mutual ethnic suspicion among the federating ethnic nationalities in the country.

While reviewing the crisis over the choice of the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assem­bly, he noted that the forum of Igbo political leaders has been monitoring the unfolding scenario in the National Assembly with genuine concern and cautioned that, “ the ruling party must demonstrate sensitivity to the complex realities of the Nigerian nation”.

Chief Iwuanyanwu categorically stated that, “Ndigbo have no regrets and no apologies whatsoever for the choice we made collectively or individually during the 2015 elections in exercise of our fundamen­tal rights as citizens of this country” and warned that any attempt to “punish” Ndigbo or deny them their rights and privileges under the Ni­gerian Constitution would be vigorously contested.

The forum admonished President Muhammadu Buhari to take a cue from former president, Olusegun Obasanjo who accommodated the South-West zone in his administration despite the fact that people from the zone voted overwhelmingly against the PDP in 1999.

According to IPF, “In 1999, when majority of Nigerians voted for PDP, the South-West voted for Alliance for Democracy, AD. This is in spite of the fact that their own son, Chief Oluse­gun Obasanjo was the candi­date of choice.

“In the same election the North voted predominantly for ANPP.

“Obasanjo’s administration did not dis­criminate or “punish” the South-West or the core North, rather he brought them into the mainstream”.

Chief Iwuanyanwu stated that there would be no justification whatsoev­er for President Buhari to run a government to the exclu­sion of Ndigbo or any ethnic group in the country.

While lamenting that all the appointments so far made by the Federal Government, including the leadership of the National Assembly have been one sided, he said: “It is also scandalous that of all the Service Chiefs and security chiefs recently ap­pointed by Mr. President, none of them is from the South-East Zone”.

The IPF Secretary-General however described President Muham­madu Buhari as a genuine, patriotic Nigerian and com­mended him for his public declaration that he belongs to all and advised him to be wary of the divisive and eth­nic champions in the APC who are out to hijack his government and derail his patriotic vision for Nigeria.

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