Ohanaeze has nothing against Tinubu as president, says Iwuanyanwu

Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural Organization, has said that the organization has nothing against the presidency of President Bola Tinubu or his aspirations during the election.

Iwuanyawu said this while speaking to the media recently during his visit to Lagos.

In the interview, he clarified Ohanaeze’s position regarding the presidency of Tinubu, emphasizing that the focus has now shifted to the development and welfare of the Igbo people.

Responding to questions about the Igbo’s support for Peter Obi in the past presidential election, Dr. Iwuanyanwu said that Ohanaeze Ndigbo supported Obi based on the zoning arrangement and the belief that it was the Igbo’s turn to produce the president. However, he made it clear that this did not reflect any personal opposition to Tinubu as an individual.

Dr. Iwuanyanwu underscored the importance of Igbo contributions to the Nigerian economy, highlighting their substantial presence in various sectors across the country.

He also acknowledged that numerous Igbo individuals are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and recognized that their political affiliations should not hinder the progress and unity of the Igbo community.

“During the election, Ohanaeze Ndigbo supported Peter Obi in the election because we believed that it was our turn based on the zoning arrangement. We have nothing against Tinubu as a person. We supported Peter Obi because we believed that it was our turn and we believed that he is capable. Today, Tinubu has been sworn in as the President and we have many Igbo in the All Progressives Congress, APC, who cannot be stopped.

“Peter Obi is in court and the decision isn’t ours to take but the judiciary,” he said.

On the perceived crisis between the Igbo and the Yoruba in Lagos, he said he was satisfied with the steps already taken by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma in meeting with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos.

“When you talk about Lagos, some Igbo have lived in Lagos since their grandparents began living here, which is as far back as 1914. The truth about this thing is that we have a character in Igboland which makes us different. We know that we have a home and our home is in Eastern Nigeria. Wherever we go, we know we are visitors, and we have never gone anywhere to claim their land. Every Igbo man who owns a property in Lagos does so legitimately.

“We have not come to preach a sermon that God gave us the land in Lagos. We paid for it. People from Igboland have not only developed lands, they have built houses. If you go to Lekki, Victoria Island, everywhere, these things were built by humans. Lagos is Lagos because people, like the Igbo, came and invested. They include northerners and those from other tribes. Igbo came, invested and developed the place without forgetting the fact that they are visitors. Every Igbo man is told from home to obey the law of his host community and Igbo have done that all through history.

“Recently, we started hearing all these stories, I think we can solve the problem and we are only appealing to them because asking people to leave is a new phenomenon. We are not worried about it because I have discussed with top indigenes of Lagos. Leaders in Lagos are not in support of this view. I want to let you know that Ohanaeze under my leadership is working with the five South-East governors on this issue.

“Hope Uzodimma told me that South-East governors would meet with their colleague (Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu). I was pleased that they had a good meeting with the governor of Lagos State where they came up with a communiqué. Lagos State governor did very well. In fact, people are happy,” he added.

Shifting the conversation towards Igbo development, Dr. Iwuanyanwu outlined his plans for transforming Igboland.

He emphasized the significance of agriculture, mineral resources, and intellectual capacity, noting that the Igbo possess immense potential in these areas.

Driven by the desire to promote commerce and industrial growth, he expressed the need to capitalize on the trade-inclined nature of the Igbo community, which has consistently contributed to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

While addressing concerns about insecurity in the South-East and the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Dr. Iwuanyanwu reiterated Ohanaeze’s call for Kanu’s release.

He stressed that the detention of Kanu hindered efforts to address security challenges effectively.

Dr. Iwuanyanwu called for President Tinubu’s intervention in releasing Kanu, as it would contribute to reducing tensions and focusing attention on resolving security issues across the country.

“We don’t have security problems in the South-East. We have said ‘release Nnamdi’ because the young people are supporters of Nnamdi Kanu, which is an excuse that they give.

“When we look at it seriously, we have not seen any offence committed by Kanu. In fact, the court has said he should be released. As Igbo leaders, we do not see the reason he is being kept in detention. These people are giving it as an excuse for their sit-at-home. We believe that keeping Nnamdi Kanu in prison is an effort to collaborate with some elements who want to destroy the economy of states in the South-East. We are appealing to the Federal Government to release Kanu because if he is released, we can now know those who are proper criminals and agitators.

“I believe that President Tinubu will be able to release Nnamdi because we have not been told he committed any offence. He is being detained even though he was not caught carrying AK-47. Nnamdi Kanu is sick and if he dies in prison, it will create a lot of problems for us. Every Igbo leader has talked about his release including the five South-East governors.

“I think if any Nigerian leader has respect for the Igbo, he will release Kanu because once he is released the security problem will be reduced. I want to tell you that South-East or Igboland is not worse than other places.

“Security is bad all over the country but release Nnamdi Kanu, let him be free and let us attack our own insecurity. There are people causing insecurity in the North and they have even gone to the prison in Abuja to release everybody, yet nobody has put anyone on trial.

“They had even kidnapped people in the train and they negotiated with them. Nnamdi Kanu has never been involved in any of these things,” Iwuanyanwu added.