A former aide to President Mohammadu Buhari, Kawu Sumaila has observed that the continuous attack by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, unknown gunmen and other criminal gangs in the Southeast, should make right-thinking Nigerians think against supporting Igbo presidential candidacy in the 2023 general elections.
According to him, Igbo leaders both in the Southeast and elsewhere were not condemning the activities of IPOB and unknown gunmen, which has caused wanton destruction of public property and loss of lives in their region.
Sumaila observed that contrary to northern leaders who were openly condemning Boko Haram terrorists and banditry in the region, the Southeast elites were not condemning attacks by IPOB but were describing then as “unknown gunmen”.
“The elites in the southeast should borrow a leaf from their northern counterparts such as Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, and Northern Elders Forum, NEF, who have been persistently condemning the activities of Boko Haram terrorists and bandits in the north.
“You must clear your names or else, Nigerians will consider you culprits of all the killings and destruction in some southern states.
“Had it been, the northern elites supported the activities of the bandits, Boko Haram and other similar crimes in the north, the story would have been different by now.
“But they keep on condemning it and calling on the authorities concerned to take appropriate measures against the culprits for the peace to reign in the region.
“Not only the ACF and NEF, if some political and cultural groups in the North can criticise President Buhari on certain national issues, why can’t the southeast elites condemn the attacks in public at least to show their innocence?
“With these atrocities committed by southeast people on record, how can Nigerians entrust them to govern them?
“I am sure not a single right thinking Nigerian will endanger his life to support the candidature of any southeast politician to contest for presidency come 2023 general elections,” he said.
