Stay Away from June 12 Protest, Ohanaeze Faction Tells Ndigbo
A faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has declared that the people of the South-East Region of Nigeria would not participate in the nationwide Democracy Day protest scheduled for Thursday, June 12.
This was contained in a statement issued by its Deputy President General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro.
He said that the decision stemmed “from a deliberate and strategic resolve to protect the lives and property of Ndigbo across Nigeria”.
According to the release, “No protests will be permitted within the South-East region until the Nigerian government meaningfully addresses the long-standing and legitimate concerns of the Igbo people”.
The statement added, “We wish to convey a crucial, and perhaps uncomfortable, truth to the organizers of these national protests. There exists a broad consensus among Ndigbo rejecting participation in any form of protest—whether within the South-East or in other parts of Nigeria where our people reside.
“It is also important to bring to public attention credible reports of a covert plot reportedly brewing in Abuja, Kaduna, Maiduguri, and Lagos. This plot, allegedly orchestrated by unpatriotic politicians and anti-democratic elements, seeks to hijack the protests as a means to destabilize President Bola Tinubu’s administration, while falsely projecting the Igbo as instigators or enemies of the state.”
Isiguzoro explained that past experiences had shown that “during moments of national crises, Igbos have too often been scapegoated, unjustly targeted, and sacrificed at the altar of political expediency”.
He added, “In addition to these historical injustices, the current climate of insecurity ravaging the South-East makes the staging of any mass protest not only ill-advised but dangerous. Ndigbo will not take part in any national protest until our critical demands are met—chief among them, the immediate release of all Igbo prisoners of conscience unlawfully detained across the country.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in the release, reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful dialogue and constructive engagement with the Nigerian state but “warned against any attempt to exploit national protests to further marginalize or endanger the South-East”.
Stay Away from June 12 Protest, Ohanaeze Faction Tells Ndigbo is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
