Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), have condemned what it described as “subtle political moves” by some Northern governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to lure and influence former president Goodluck Jonathan into joining the 2023 presidential race.
The pro-Biafra group noted that this was “a dangerous, systematic way of creating and re-establishing another political discord among the people of the old eastern region.”
Leader of the group, Comrade Uchenna Madu, in a statement on Wednesday, advised Jonathan and his kinsmen to be wise enough to discern “the subtle and hypocritical moves of the Arewa governors.”
He said: “The Sultan of Sokoto, the Aso Villa cabals, the frontline emirs, the Arewa opinion leaders and Islamic gurus, both Nigerians/foreigners are perfectly aware and systematically pushing for a Goodluck Jonathan one tenure administration. Their ultimate political aim is to sideline and frustrate the golden chances of Igbo man or the Southeast zone to emerge as president of Nigeria.
“Former president Goodluck Jonathan and his Ijaw kinsmen should avoid and discard this destructive and political end of Ijaw ethnic nationality in Nigeria. The people of Southeast and indigenous Igbos in South-South region have always supported the Ijaws mostly on the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan during his political travails in the hands of Arewa leaders.
The group also asked the national leader of APC and the governor of Kogi state, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Yahaya Bello, respectively, to shelve their ambitions to vie for the office of the presidency come 2023, saying it was time for the South East to take a shot at the presidency.
“MASSOB also warn Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi state to bury their presidential ambitions in 2023 because it is solely and sacrosanct for the Southeast zone to produce the next president of Nigeria. It is not about sentiment or selfishness to support the Southeast zone, it is the turn of Southeast zone to produce the next president of Nigeria according to the zoning arrangement.
“Nigeria is already sitting on an explosive time bomb that will eventually explode in 2023 if justice and national integration are not done to the people of Southeast in producing the next president of Nigeria. The Hausa/Fulanis are seriously plotting to scuttle and frustrate the chances of Southeast zone to produce the next president of Nigeria.
“MASSOB warns All Progressive Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to immediately commence picking of their presidential candidate from Southeast zone for 2023 presidential election. If the political conspiracy against people of Southeast prevail, we shall once again proof that Ndigbo have the capacity and capability to make or mar Nigeria. 2023 shall determine if Nigeria will continue to exist or not,” Madu warned.
