Yahaya Bello: Group Carpets Ohanaeze, Others, over Attacks On MASSOB Leader Uwazurike

A group of patriots under the aegis of the National Alliance For
Democratic Governance (NADG), a pro-democracy group and accountable
governance advocate, has condemned what it described as “unwanted
attacks on the founder and leader of Movement for the Actualisation of
Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Biafra Independent
Movement, Chief Ralph Uwazurike over his support for the presidential
ambition of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.”

The group wondered why Igbo politicians who have no respect for their
opinion leaders should be supported while those outside Igbo land who
honoured them with consultation visits should be disregarded by South
East leaders whom they visited just because an Igbo son or daughter,
who pretends that they do not exist, is contesting for elective
position.

The NADG therefore urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo and others who were critical
of the action of Chief Uwazurike to properly guide and advise Igbo
politicians to respect their opinion leaders, market women and youth
leaders if they need their support.

The group in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade
James Ezema, said it was “unfortunate that a supposed apex Igbo
socio-cultural organisation, the once revered Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has now
turned itself into a political regulatory organisation for the South
East and now infringing on people’s fundamental rights to associate.

“In as much as Ndigbo, ahead of the 2023 general elections, are
agitating for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction as part of a
visible remedy for the long years of marginalisation of the South East
in particular and the old eastern region as a whole, it is
undemocratic for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, or any individual for that matter,
to decide for another Igbo son or daughter whom to associate with.

“If indeed Uwazurike has long ago lost relevance in Igbo land as the
group claimed, why is Ohanaeze Ndigbo complaining about such a person?

“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has, by its outburst against Chief Uwazurike,
manifested the age-long lack of understanding of grassroots politics
by most Igbo politicians who disregard their home front in pursuit of
national political relevance.

“How many Igbo sons who are contesting for President have visited
major Igbo stakeholders like Uwazurike and others?

“Has any Igbo presidential aspirant consulted international figures
like former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief
Emeka Anyaoku?

“We have many prominent Igbo sons like the former chieftain of the
National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Chief Ralph Obioha, a staunch
Igbo defender like Chief Willy Ezugwu, who is a traditional ruler and
the Secretary General of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and the
National Coordinator of the South East Revival Group (SERG), among
several other ranking Igbos opinion leaders. Who among the so-called
Igbo aspirants visited them in the course of their consultations?

“Recall that Governor Yahaya Bello recently visited Chief Uwazurike at
his country home in Imo State to seek his support for Presidency. How
many of those presidential aspirant of Igbo extraction have visited
Uwazurike to inform him of their plans to run for president?

“An Igbo proverb says “Ana esi n’ụlọ ama mma apụ n’èzí” (meaning that
charity begins at home) and indeed, grassroots politics begins at
home.

“Besides Peter Obi who visibly declared for president at a meeting
with his traditional rulers and opinion leaders within his
constituency, who among the Igbos contesting for president has visited
traditional rulers, political elites, market women leaders or youth
leaders, in South East?

“It is lack of understanding of grassroots politics that has led to
such gross neglect of Igbo opinion leaders by presidential aspirants
of South East extraction, yet when honour given by outsiders to these
opinion leaders is returned, groups like Ohanaeze Ndigbo will kick
against them rather than properly advising Igbo politicians to
remember their home front if Igbos want to be united in reclaiming
their lost grounds in the post-civil war Nigerian politics.

“Why should Chief Uwazurike, who merely reciprocated a gesture by
Governor Yahaya Bello, be vilified as if Ndigbo are not seeing Yoruba
presidential aspirants consulting their traditional rulers and opinion
leaders in the South West while Igbo aspirants neglect their own?”,
the group said.