Presidency 2023: Group berates Ohanaeze, defend MASSOB Leader, Uwazurike, over support for Yahaya Bello

A political group, National Alliance For Democratic Governance (NADG), has berated the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and IPOB for chastising the leader of Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Biafra Independence Movement (BIM), Ralph Uwazurike, for supporting the presidential aspiration of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. The group protested that the criticism of the MASSOB leader was an unwanted attack for supporting a non-Igbo presidential aspirant.

The National Alliance For Democratic Governance (NADG) chided Igbo politicians for having no respect for opinion leaders in the southeast Nigeria, while politicians outside the zone respect Igbo leaders, holding consultation with them. The group noted that Igbo sons and daughters in politics disregard Igbo leaders and behave as though they do not exist.

The National Alliance For Democratic Governance (NADG), in a statement by the National Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, declared: it is “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 Southeast 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 Southeast, 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 Southeast 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 the presidential aspirants 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.

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“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 Southeast?

“It is lack of understanding of grassroots politics that has led to such gross neglect of Igbo opinion leaders by presidential aspirants of Southeast 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 Southwest while Igbo aspirants neglect their own?”