A prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Chike Obidigbo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to address insecurity in the South East and facilitate the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as a goodwill gesture for the new year.
In a statement titled Criticality of Urgent Ethnic Nationalities’ Conference and National Referendum released yesterday, Obidigbo described 2024 as a “trying year” for the Igbo community.
He highlighted sustained insecurity, political marginalization, and the detention of Nnamdi Kanu as critical issues that demand urgent attention.
For the Igbo nation, 2024 was very trying. Apart from the unjust incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, insecurity persisted while political marginalization and blatant injustice, which characterized the eight years of Muhammadu Buhari, remain the plight of Ndigbo, Obidigbo said.
The APC chieftain urged Tinubu to convene a meeting of ethnic nationalities to revisit Nigeria’s amalgamation document, which he claimed expired in 2014. He proposed a referendum to address structural imbalances, suggesting it replace ongoing efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution.
As we enter 2025, the year holds significant implications for Nigeria, particularly for the Igbo nation, in terms of social relations, politics, security, and the younger generation’s progress, he added.
Obidigbo criticized the lack of cohesive political leadership in the South East, calling for a shift towards fear of God, love for neighbors, and actions to halt violence against youths.
The best way to build Nigeria into a land where no one is oppressed is through mutual love and agreement to live peacefully as one people, he concluded.