#EndBadGovernance: Igbo Community Supports Protests – ADF

The Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), an influential Igbo think tank, has rejected the perception that the Igbo community is unsupportive of the nationwide “EndBadGovernance” protests.

In a statement co-signed by ADF National President, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, and National Secretary, Abia Onyike, the group expressed their disapproval of threats made against the Igbo community in Lagos and other areas of Nigeria, urging those responsible to stop these actions immediately.

The ADF called upon security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS), to take swift action against those issuing threats.

The organization stressed that portraying the Igbo as opponents of the protest misrepresents their history, which includes strong resistance against poor governance, even to the point of challenging deities that failed in their duties.

The ADF made it clear to protesters that the Igbo are not opposed to their movement but are cautious due to past incidents where the Igbo were unfairly targeted for positions shared by all regions of Nigeria.

While the Igbo support the protest’s objectives, they are unable to participate in street demonstrations due to the heavy militarization of Igboland, with armed forces occupying major cities in the region.

The statement further criticized the 2023 elections, describing them as the worst in Nigeria’s history, and condemned the Lagos State Government’s economic policies, which they claim are designed to oppress the Igbo.

The statement noted the ongoing detention of Nwajiagu in Lagos for speaking out against those seeking to harm the Igbo, while certain individuals continue to incite violence without consequence.

The ADF highlighted the lack of response from security forces to numerous threats of violence against the Igbo on social media. They questioned how a group allegedly disinterested in the protests could be targeted for genocide.

The group also acknowledged the support of Yoruba leaders such as Pa Ayo Adebanjo, who have stood by the Igbo, giving them hope for a united Nigeria.

The statement partly read: “All of us were in this country and observed the flawed nature of the 2023 election in Nigeria, adjudged as the worst in Nigerian history. How can Bayo Onanuga be so shameless to raise the issue of getting to power through the back door? The Lagos State Government has imposed all kinds of negative economic policies to hack Ndigbo down.

“Today, Nwajiagu is still incarcerated in Lagos for daring to retort to those trying to annihilate Ndigbo. Yet, a certain political thug known strides and trots the length and breadth of Lagos as a colossus, causing mayhem unabated with security agents looking away.

“The X space, formally known as Twitter, is awash with genocide threats against Ndigbo in Western Nigeria without any reaction from the security agents. One wonders how a group of people who declared their non-interest in the bad governance protest would be primed for genocide by Bayo Onanuga and his ilk.

“If it were not for the good-spirited Yoruba like Pa Ayo Adebanjo and others, Ndigbo would have been questioning why they are still yoked with those who want to annihilate them from the face of the earth. We, therefore, salute the courage of those who still give us, as a race, the hope to live in a united Nigeria.

“We are not a fearful people, but we are very courageous. This is why during the ill-fated colonial experience in Nigeria, Ndigbo took the lead in all ramifications, such that they caught the ire of the colonial overlords, who interpreted their stance on ending colonial bad governance as challenging the colonial status quo.

“The resultant effect is the orchestration of a 36-month genocide that almost annihilated Ndigbo from the surface of the earth, which was the first and last time that all the world powers agreed on a mission and administered it to the finality.”

In 1945, the first orchestration of the massacre of Ndi Igbo occurred in Kano, as there was the “Kano riot” against colonial bad governance. So many Igbo people lost their lives during that episode. Yet another massacre happened in 1956 for the same reason and for the singular reason that Ahmadu Bello was defeated in the Lagos parliament for his opposition to Independence to Nigeria.”