Ohanaeze Ndigbo Condemns Bayo Onanuga’s Allegations Against Peter Obi

The Igbo apex socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has sharply criticized recent allegations made by Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, against Peter Obi, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party.

Onanuga accused Obi of being the mastermind behind a rumored nationwide protest set to begin in August, aimed at addressing the economic hardship in Nigeria.

In a statement released on Monday in Enugu by Ohanaeze’s spokesperson, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, the organization labeled Onanuga’s accusations as deeply Igbophobic and indicative of a profound disdain for the Igbo tribe.

The statement described Onanuga’s behavior as “uncouth repugnancy” and recalled his unapologetic ethnic slurs against the Igbo during the last year’s presidential election.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo emphasized that the current economic challenges facing Nigerians are blind to ethnicity, affecting people from all regions including the North, South, East, and West.

They highlighted the widespread hardships such as poverty, the Naira’s devaluation, kidnappings, banditry, farmer-herdsmen conflicts, insecurity, joblessness, rising food prices, and overall cost of living increases.

Dr. Ogbonnia pointed out that Onanuga’s allegations are not just a personal attack on Peter Obi, but also reflect a broader pattern of hostility towards the Igbo people.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo reiterated its stance that Nigerians across all ethnicities are united in their suffering due to the prevailing economic hardships and that such divisive comments from individuals in high office are unwarranted and detrimental to national unity.

The organization called on the federal government to address the real issues causing widespread dissatisfaction and to focus on governance that alleviates the suffering of all Nigerians rather than engaging in ethnically charged accusations.

Ogbonnia said, “It is necessary to inform Onanuga that this is a time for the Presidency to initiate policies, programmes, activities and a body language that will appeal to or assuage the downtrodden, dispossessed, oppressed, the deprived, including Obidients.

“And to also inform the Onanugas that issuing threats to masses, the hungry and angry, the vulnerable and indeed those who no longer fear any fall is the most inconceivable line of action for any government in a fragile society. In other words, instead of broadening the minds to creative thinking and welfare programs for the masses, the Onanugas are chasing rat when the house is on fire.”

He reiterated that Ohanaeze Ndigbo had earlier this year asked all Igbo not to participate in any protest against the administration of President Bola Tinubu because anything involving Ndigbo have always been treated negatively different from other tribes in Nigeria.

He further stated, “When youths from other tribes of the country are involved, they are reprimanded and forgiven; but when the Igbo youths are involved they are arrested, incarcerated and even charged for serious offences. For example, the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu generated a lot of problems for the Igbos amongst others.

“Emphatically, the current hardship in Nigeria is the comeuppance of Igbophobia. It is an unavoidable outcome of an orchestrated injustice, marginalization, callous conspiracies, corporate shenanigans and ethnic bigotry against the Igbo.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo stands on a firm wicket based on reason, history and experience, to state that there can never be peace, progress and national development when there is a deliberate government policy of injustice, tantrums and brimstones against a vibrant, capacious, resourceful, resilient and populous ethnic group such as the Igbo.”

Ogbonnia recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had condemned the persistent aversion to the people of southeastern extraction, which Obasanjo described as Igbophobia.

He said, “Obasanjo added that unless Nigeria throws its doors open to merit and full inclusion of the Igbo in national affairs, the country will continue to flounder and grope in the dark.

“Finally, the Igbo are once again requested not to join the forthcoming nationwide protest. When President Muhammadu Buhari appointed about 15 service Chiefs in Nigeria and Igbo was secluded, did the lopsided policy abate the security situation in Nigeria? And have we died? And many more?”