May 29 Committee: Igbophobia Runs In Tinubu’s Vein, Inherited Igbo Hatred From Buhari – Ohanaeze Ndigbo

The leading Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo, claimed on Tuesday that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu inherited Igbo animosity from the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari since Igbo were not included in the committee that he formed for the May 29 handover activities.

The presidential inauguration is expected to be planned by the 14-member group, which includes members from regions across the country.

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Going through the list, it was discovered that there was no Igbo person, which led to responses throughout Igbo territory from all political parties.

Reacting on the development, the national vice president of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, described the incoming president as a tribalist, adding that it was difficult for him to change his opinion about Igbo.

He said: “Igbophobia is in his veins and by not including Igbo people in the handover committee, he is only trying to reopen old wounds.

“He inherited the hatred Buhari has against Igbo, especially when the President-elect has said he will continue from where the incumbent president stopped.

“He said he will continue with Buhari policies and our question is, what is he continuing?

“Is it to continue the marginalisation of a particular ethnic group?

“Ohanaeze has not even accepted his election and whatever he is doing is personal to him. What we know is that those who want to divide Nigeria will surely fail. 

“Ohanaeze is not in a hurry to recognise Tinubu as the President-elect because any house built on a faulty foundation is bound to collapse.

“We believe that the process of the 2023 presidential election is still on. 

“The voting has been done and the court has taken over and until the outcome of the court process is known, we cannot take a stand on the 2023 election.”

Although some Igbo people may believe they are on Tinubu’s side, the Ohanaeze leader said it is regrettable that he is choosing the path of division, adding that there is a proverb that states a harm to one Igbo man is an injury to all Igbo.

Okeke-Ogene stated that the Imeobi Ohaneze will meet on Sunday to decide on the new leadership of the Ohaneze.

He added that the issue of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu emerging has not arisen because it is the Imeobi that will decide.

“For now, people can speculate on anything but Ohanaeze has a constitution and there are high expectations that things will work out well after the Imeobi meeting on Sunday,” he said.