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We’ll resist further onslaught on prominent Igbos— IPOB

Raid politically motivated— OZEKHOME

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Ugochukwu Alaribe & Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA—THE apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has warned the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government to stop the alleged persecution and harassment of people of Igbo extraction, describing some actions of the government as a serious threat to democracy. This came as the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, described the raid by the police as barbaric and shameful.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo claimed that the APC government has not hidden its disdain against the South East geo-political zone and has been doing everything possible to ensure that Senator Ekweremadu who is the highest political office holder from the South East is humiliated and removed as the Deputy Senate President.

In a statement yesterday signed by the President of Ohanaeze, Federal Capital Territory, FCT Chapter, Odozi Nwodozi, the Igbo socio-cultural group described as undemocratic , what it perceived as President Muhammadu Buhari’s government working in alliance with some security personnel to ensure that the South East remains perpetually excluded from the administration.

The statement read: “It was with shock that Nigerians received the unsavory news of the Gestapo-like invasion of the official guest house of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu at the Maitama district of Abuja in the unholy hours of Friday, 26th of May 2017.

“Ndigbo recalls with sadness the unpretentious, biased and Igbophobic stand of the ruling All Progre-ssives Congress, APC, at the election of Senator Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President on the resumption of the 8th senate in June 2015. They have remained resolute in their plot to ingloriously remove Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President.

Ohanaeze further stated that, “it is common knowledge that since the inception of the 8th Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has been frivolously accused of money laundering and forgery. He has been charged to court severally but he has been discharged and acquitted by the courts.

Ohanaeze’s resolution

“In view of recent developments, Ohanaeze Ndigbo FCT Chapter, after a careful analysis of the current situation has resolved, “that Senator Ike Ekweremadu is not just an illustrious Igbo, he is a respected Nigerian legislator with proven records. Hence, we demand that he should be accorded the respect accruable to his office.

“Ndigbo wish to warn the presidency to desist from further covert or overt persecution of Igbo elements both in the economic and political front, either through the instrumentality of security agencies or sponsored media vituperations with the singular aim of castrating the Igbo nation on both fronts.

“That the independence of the legislature (senators) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be respected; they unanimously elected Senator Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President.

“Any attempt at removing him will be inimical not just to Nigeria’s fledgling democracy, but also to her corporate existence, knowing that Nigeria has a handful of centrifugal issues to contend with currently.

“We demand that the police authorities having failed in their infamous plot to implicate Ekweremadu should tender an unreserved apology to him in the next seventy two hours, while the head of that fast morally decaying body, the Inspector-General should be relieved of his position immediately, failing to do so, will be seen as an affront on the Igbo nation, and will consequently result in an unprecedented mass action that will shake the very foundation of the country.”

Raid, primitive & uncalled for—IPOB

IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, also condemned the raid on Ekweremadu’s house, describing it as “a primitive act and uncalled for.

“This shameless move made by DSS to ransack the home of Chief Ekweremadu and constant harassment of the family is becoming unbearable and unacceptable by IPOB. It is a challenge to Biafrans and Ndigbo living at home and abroad.

“The harassment metted out on Chief Ekweremadu’s family members is abnormal and it must stop.

“The aim of the tyrannical government of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Nigeria is to strangulate Biafrans who are in position of authority, and the successful business men, but we wish to inform them that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB will fight to a standstill without delay, the onslaught against prominent Igbo men and women in such positions.

“This APC government under Muhammadu Buhari is trying to design an atmosphere of fear and terror against Ndigbo,but we assure them that it will not work, because we in IPOB will never allow that to happen, it must stop.”

Raid politically-motivated-Ozekhome

Constitutional lawyer, Barrister Mike Ozekhome, SAN has also berated the All Progressives Congress-led administration for its dictatorial tendencies and attempt to turn the country into a one-party state.

Ozekhome stated this yesterday in a chat with Vanguard while responding to last week raid on a guest house in Abuja belonging to the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

“I am very convinced that the raid on Ekweremadu’s residence was politically motivated to silence and browbeat him, and possibly remove him as Deputy Senate President. In this, they will fail woefully as Nigeria is innately pluralistic and multi-ideological,” he said.

The legal expert further warned the ruling party against the continued clampdown on oppostion figures across the country.

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