A chieftain of Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, has responded to what he termed alarming and incendiary remarks recently made against President Bola Tinubu by former governor of Rivers State and former minister of Transport, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Isiguzoro, who described himself as the deputy president-general of the group, said, “In a discourse at an opposition leaders’ conference in Abuja, Amaechi’s outrageous call for Nigerians to resort to “brutal force” in an attempt to snatch power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by 2027 starkly contravene the principles of civility, democracy and peace that it holds dear.
“Amaechi’s equally disconcerting assertion that politicians must be willing to ‘steal, maim, and kill’ to retain power not only diminishes the dignity of our political discourse but also poses a dire threat to the very fabric of our society.”
Ohanaeze averred that, such insidious rhetoric serves to excite unrest and mobilize the youth toward violent actions that could plunge our beloved nation into chaos, adding that it is an affront to the intelligence, integrity, and sensibilities of all Nigerians, and threatens to incite an uncontrollable wave of violence that could engulf our nation.
“In light of this egregious misconduct, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, while often inclined to overlook baseless declarations, understands that the gravity of Amaechi’s statements warrants a definitive and public denunciation, especially as he identifies as an Igbo man from the Ikwerre-speaking area of Rivers State.
“Given his past candidacy against President Tinubu in the 2023 APC primaries – an electoral contest in which he was decisively bested – it is paramount that we as Igbo leaders unequivocally distance ourselves from incendiary and divisive rhetoric that could mistakenly suggest support from Ndigbo for such inflammatory sentiments.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the reckless and incendiary comments made by Chibuike Amaechi against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is essential to declare firmly that the Ndigbo will never endorse any political conspiracy aimed at undermining the legitimacy of an elected president.
“Furthermore, we unequivocally lend our support to the position articulated by the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammed Matawalle. We echo his urgent call for Mr Amaechi to retract his divisive statements and cease from further inciting the populace, lest he face the inevitable repercussions of his actions. No individual, regardless of their status or former office, is above the rule of law in our nation.”