Kanu’s conviction may affect Tinubu’s re-election

By Dickson Okafor

Abumchukwu N. Okoye, national coordinator, Take Back Nigeria Initiative (TBNI), while reacting to the conviction of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, revealed that it is a ploy by the North to set up Igbo against Yoruba in order for the South-East not to vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

He called on President Tinubu to be proactive and do the needful so that the conspiracy against his re-election won’t prevail, by releasing Nnamdi Kanu, whom he said is fighting against marginalisation of the Igbo.

The legal practitioner opined that President Tinubu has been under attack because northern politicians want to create division between the Igbo and Yoruba ahead of 2027 just as they plotted and removed former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

He speaks about other issues as well.

What is your reaction over the conviction of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu?

There is nothing to celebrate about the terrorism conviction of the leader of the proscribed Indigenious People of Biafra (IPOB) by Justice James Omotosho. From day one I warned the Federal Government about this matter. I said it is a political matter and should be handled politically because it is equity of jungle. And in the equity of the jungle, you treat right the way you treat the left. I’m not interested in the judicial decisions because Justice James Omotosho is not the problem, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not the problem and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not also the problem. The problem seems to be a weak executive. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is being set up. May be he doesn’t know, but he will know six months to the general election in 2027. The case of Nnamdi Kanu is now seen as a Yoruba against Igbo matter because throughout the 8 years reign of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the case was delayed as government did not do anything about the matter. The judgment encounters Igbo anger because no Igbo man is happy with the judgment. This thing shouldn’t have lingered to this point if the previous government had attended to the matter. Some people organise themselves against the Igbos in rendition. They abducted Nnamdi Kanu and brought him to Nigeria and the Department of State Services (DSS) continued to delay the trial and now they have washed their hands and allow Mr. President to clean their mess. I say so because what they did to former President Goodluck Jonathan is exactly what they are doing to Tinubu just to get him out of power in 2027. Unfortunately, President Tinubu don’t want to be proactive or those who are advising him are involved in this conspiracy. The essence of Take Back Nigeria Initiative is constitutionalism, due process, fairness and equity and there should be no double standard. Somebody who is heavily equipped with arms recently came to Government House somewhere in the North and discussed with the state government officials and left into the forest. Also, one of the leaders of the terrorists gathered his men and came to town in the North held a wedding and later went back to the forest. Sheikh Abubakar Gumi whatever he called himself said they were his foot soldiers. Even the former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Ibrahim Pantami said nothing should happen to the terrorists. We all heard the former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff say he was not the one that formed Boko Haram.

Now, just because American President, Donald Trump said he will intervene to flush out the terrorists that are responsible for Christian genocide in Northern Nigeria, all of a sudden they wants to show that America cannot do anything, they went to kidnapp students in Kwara, Kebbi, Niger and Nasarawa states. Recently they even went to kill people inside churches in the North and they believe nothing will happen. But they handed judgment of life imprisonment to Nnamdi Kanu. Following it judicially, this is a judicial matter and the judiciary must follow precedence and due process of the law. They must make references on how such cases were treated in other countries and this is the outcome, hence, the judgment should have come based on the laws we have made. What Nnamdi Kanu was fighting for that shouldn’t happen is what is happening now in Nigeria. He said stop killing my people, stop killig Christians, stop killing southerners and other indigenes.

What is your stand on Nnamdi Kanu unruly behaviour in the court and his insults on some lawyers right inside the court room?

He that is down needs no fall, a dead man remains a dead man no matter how good he dresses. They destroyed the fabrics and the whole essence of his being because the fate of every man diminishes us. You denied him his rights, you abducted him to Nigeria and you destryed him morally and you abused him both mentally and spiritually and you want him to be a gentleman? I don’t blame the judge and I don’t blame Nnamdi Kanu because if I were him, my reaction would have been worse. Justice James Omtosho was been framed up by those in power if we must call a spade a spade. Some people said there is no Christian genocide while others said it is a cultural thing that needs to be resolved. However, until government decides who want to be a Nigerian, one people and one nation, if not people should be allowed to go our separate ways. What has happened which Nnamdi Kanu is fighting against is gunine case of concern. Government has compromised national security, national integrity and patriotism and I know it is a set up. What Nnamdi Kanu did equate it with what has happened in North-East, North-West and North Central and by the destruction of a section of Nigeria by these Islamic groups who said unless you are like us you cannot exist. Why the continue killings of innocent people across the country by these same groups and no one has been arrested? But they convicted Nnamdi Kanu for 25 years for fighting against Christian genocide. Why do we call ourselves Igbos? Today, no Igbo man is happy with the Tinubu led government and this is what the Northerners want. They want to cause disunity between the Igbos and Yoruba ahead of 2027 and President Tinubu should not allow that to happen. I repeat, Tinubu is not Jonathan and what happened in 2015 will not happen again. The North has gotten what they want because they want what to tell their people six months before the 2027 general election and that will be the end of the game if we allow it happen. Because they can’t stay out of power for long and this has been their method, but I assure you that if President Tinubu do the needful, the North will be taught a big lesson in 2027. Whenever they are in power they don’t see anything wrong with government, but when they are out of power, they begin to criticise government policies destructively in order to discredit the administration.

South- East governors and leaders were expected to engage FG in dialogue to find political solution, but that did not take place, what do you think prevented such effort?

zYou can never force a slave to be free until he says he wants to be free. I repeat, no Igbo man is happy over the development. It is clear that we are a conquered people and subjected to whims and caprices of our masters. Just like the Bible say, when the people of Israel were captured they were ordered to sing the song of Zion, but they say how we can’t sing the song of Zion in a strange or foreign land. We have become foreigners in our native land and I assure you that those who are diminishing and destroying us will prove in 2026 that they are interested in power, oil money and natural resources in the Southern Nigeria with their foreign masters who want them to be in power. Have we not been living together with the Fulanis, the Yorubas, Igbos, with South South and Middle Belt before 2015? We know the dignity of a Sokoto man who speaks in soft way as far back as 1960 and 1970. I know the Yoruba man who always speak in parables and I know the industrious man who may not eat and has forgotten that he has not eaten. These invaders and marauders who were imported into Nigeria to help certain tribe win election are now the enemies we are facing today. Unfortunately, those who imported them are in government.

President Tinubu suspended his visit to South Africa and Angola because of recent kidnap of students in Kebbi and Niger states after President Donald Trum threatened to invade part of the North to end terrorism, what is your reaction?

This is as a result of betrayal because some Northern politicians want President Tinubu out by all means in 2027. Mazi Nnamdi Knanu conviction is a setup and a ploy by the Northern poiticians to ensure Igbo does not vote for Tinubu in 2027 which may lead to his defeat. That is reason Mr. President is being attacked so that Igbos will not vote for him in 2027 just as they plotted and removed Jonathan in 2015. It is attack on due process, it is an attack on constitutionalism, it is an attack on democracy and the new tax law. It is attacks on why President Tinubu should create North-Central and South -East Development Commission. They felt it is resurrection of NADECO agenda. They want to be harvesting the solid minerals in the North in conjunction with their foreign partners including Britain, but they want to share in the project of Vat. They believe it s a resurrection of natural resources and everybody knows this attack is on Nigeria. Apart from Christian genocide, it is an attack on Mr. President. Just imagine the recent rumoured coup plot, why all these threat? The Igbos had stayed without power for 50 years, but just two years out of power, Northerners are scheming to dethrone Tinubu who helped Buhari to become President in 2015 and 2019.