President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigeria’s International Partners to designate the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, a Terrorist Organisation.
IPOB, a separatist group, asking for freedom from Nigeria of Igbo speaking areas over marginalisation, injustice, unfair treatment and non-equity, has already been designated a Terrorist Organisation by the Nigerian Government even though the Group insists it is non-violent and only wanted freedom for its people, allegedly, suffering under the Nigerian system.
IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has been in the custody of the Federal Government since June 2021, being prosecuted for, among other allegations, terrorism and treasonable felony. He pleads innocence to all the allegations.
And, for the first time, aside from the congratulatory letter he sent to the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, President Muhammadu Buhari has spoken on Tinubu’s candidacy.
In written responses to questions sent to him by Bloomberg News onTinubu’s emergence, President Buhari said he was behind Tinubu, and revealed him as his preferred candidate.
Before the Presidential Primary, President Buhari didn’t quite show his hand, or who his preferred candidate was. But sources close to him said he always knew that Tinubu would win in an open contest, which was why he never publicly supported the idea of a consensus candidate. Though he had asked the aspirants, at the time, to reach a consensus, he never put pressure on them because he knew they were not likely to agree on anyone.
“Yes. I will endorse the APC candidate for President.”
And in a strong defence of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, Buhari was full of sympathy for him. He described Emefiele as “a victim of accusations because as apex bank governor he follows a model outside of the economic orthodoxy”
Emefiele had come under very strong criticisms by the Nigerian public for dabbling into politics. He had desired to run for the office of the President on order to succeed President Buhari in 2023.
Said the President: “The CBN Governor is appointed by the President. But this appointment is subject to confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.
“Ultimately, it will be for the CBN’s Board of Directors to determine whether a CBN Governor’s actions have fallen foul of the laws in place to ensure he can most effectively carry out his duties.”
Redirecting Nigeria’s International Partners where to look into, President Buhari said:
“We urge those same International Partners to take additional steps costing them nothing, by proscribing another group – IPOB – as a terrorist organisation.
“But there is a sub-text to the accusations (against Emefiele). Because the Governor follows a model outside of the economic orthodoxy, he is labeled political. But the orthodoxy has proved wrong time and again.
“Instead, the Governor is following an alternative economic model that puts people at the heart of policy. Nigeria should be free to choose its development model and how to construct our economy, so it functions for Nigerians.”
The President challenged Nigeria’s Western allies on their relationship with IPOB He asked them to “designate the outlawed Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra (IPOB) as a terror group.
“Their leadership enjoys haven in the West, broadcasting hate speech into Nigeria from London, spending millions lobbying members of the US Congress, and freely using international financial networks to arm agitators on the ground. This must stop.”
Buhari also talked about the killings in Nigeria based on blasphemy. He said:
“No person has the right to take the law into his or her own hands. Christianity and Islam, our two Great Faiths and their Great Books have far more in common than they have apart.
“Nigeria has a long tradition of tolerance that we must draw on, and we must strive to find common ground. What comes out of this tragedy is to cherish what we share, while at the same time respecting our differences.”
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