Ohaneze lashes out at Oluwo for stating that Ndigbo cannot be trusted with the presidency

OHANEZE Ndigbo has hit out at the Oluwo of Iwo Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi over his recent remarks in which he said that Nigeria's next president cannot come from the southeast geo-political zone because Igbos cannot be trusted with power.

Although not constitutional, Nigeria's component parts have a gentleman's agreement that the presidency will rotate between the north and the south of the country. President Muhammadu Buhari's tenure will end in 2023 and being a Fulani northern Muslim, it is expected that the next president will come from southern Nigeria.

Each half of the country is made up of three geo-political zones, which in the south is made up of the southeast, south-south and southwest geo-political zones. However, since the return to democracy in 1999, the southwest has produced President Olusegun Obasanjo. while the south-south has produced President Goodluck Jonathan, so the next president should ideally come from the southeast.

Wading onto the debate, however, Oba Akanbi advised against voting for an Igbo president come 2023. Incensed by the remark, Ohanaeze Ndigbo advised the monarch to learn from experienced traditional rulers in the country on how to be civilised in conducting himself.

Ohanaeze publicity secretary, Alex Ogbonnia, said: “The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a comment by the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi to the effect that the Igbo cannot be entrusted with the office of the Nigerian presidency. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by Ambassador Professor George Obiozor is a civilized cultural organisation and by its prospectus, Ohanaeze has a profound respect for the culture and traditional rulers.

“We will therefore restrain from hoisting the monarch with his own petard, rather we advise that he should undergo some tutelage under some more experienced cosmopolitan urbane intelligent monarchs such as his neighbour, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Oni of Ife. This is because it is self-evident that Nigeria is a beleaguered country that urgently needs nation-building.

"Inflammatory and incendiary remarks from monarchs and the highly placed are antithetical to the peace and unity of Nigeria. One of the qualities of a well-adjusted traditional ruler is to be open-minded towards all, especially people of other ethnic groups that may be found in his domain.

“One of the reasons the traditional rulers are insulated from partisan politics is to avoid an overdrive or the kind of overzealousness exhibited by Oba Akanbi to retire a gift from his candidate for the presidency in 2023. In promoting his preferred candidate, he has committed a fallacy of hasty generalisation when he stated that the style by south easterners is barbaric,  the Igbo cannot be trusted with power, etc.

"Surely, such prejudice, innuendo and vitriolic group vilifications against the entire Igbo nation is most unreflective of a royal father whose primary duty is to sow seeds of unity in his kingdom and beyond. For the avoidance of doubt, the Igbo are adventurous nation builders, and they are found in all parts of Nigeria and beyond.

"They make friends easily and also feel at home with their children in all parts of the world and records across the world indicate that the Igbo are branded in Midas touch. They quickly learn the language and culture of the host community with a view towards contributing to economic growth.

"The people of other ethnic groups that had their national service in Igbo Land can always attest to the Igbo friendliness and hospitality during their service years. Some ended up marrying Igbos.”