A faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has announced that the Southeast region will not participate in the planned nationwide June 12 Democracy Day protests, citing historical betrayal and security concerns.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the factional Deputy President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, explained that the decision is a strategic response aimed at safeguarding Igbo lives and properties across Nigeria, particularly within the Southeast region.
Historical Concerns Behind the Decision
According to the pan-Igbo group, historical involvement in national protests has left the zone with bitter memories marred by betrayal and violence. The statement highlighted that over the last 65 years since Nigeria's independence, evidence shows that during previous protests against government actions, Igbos have been unjustly demonized and treated as scapegoats, resulting in tragic consequences.
"The slaughter of Igbo people, often left uncompensated and without justice, has taught a painful lesson," Isiguzoro stated, adding that "the continuation of protests under the current circumstances poses a direct threat to Ndigbo."
Insecurity and Demands
The statement further emphasized that the prevailing insecurity in the Southeast renders any form of protest "imprudently hazardous." Ohanaeze declared that the Igbo nation would not participate in any national protests until their pressing demands are recognized and acted upon.
Moreover, the prevailing insecurity in the Southeast renders any form of protest imprudently hazardous. It is crucial to emphasize that the Igbo nation shall not participate in any national protests until our pressing demands are duly recognized and acted upon—most critically, the immediate release of all Igbo prisoners of conscience unjustly detained in various prisons.
Chief among these demands is the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other Igbo prisoners of conscience allegedly unjustly detained in various prisons. The group accused the federal government of demonstrating selective justice by dismissing felony charges against certain individuals while Igbo detainees remain imprisoned.
Alleged Political Plot
The Ohanaeze faction also claimed awareness of a "covert plot being engineered by unpatriotic politicians and anti-democratic elements" in various regions, including Abuja, Kaduna, Maiduguri, and Lagos. According to Isiguzoro, these groups appear intent on using the national protests as instruments to destabilize the Tinubu administration and unjustly portray the Igbo as adversaries of the government.
"This must be firmly resisted," the statement concluded.
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