Olusegun Obasanjo has sparked fresh debate by defending the right of the Igbos to lead Nigeria, challenging the notion that their past secessionist bid disqualifies them. He revealed that all major ethnic groups have at one time sought to break away from the country, including the North with its “Araba” movement.
Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has sparked controversy by asserting that it is unfair to single out the Igbos for attempting to secede from Nigeria. He reminded Nigerians that all three major ethnic groups—the North, West, and East—have at some point made moves to break away from the country.
Obasanjo made these remarks on Tuesday, October 22, during a meeting with the League of Northern Democrats, led by former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, at his Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The elder statesman expressed his disappointment with the persistent narrative that the Igbos should be denied the presidency due to their role in the January 15, 1966 coup and the subsequent Biafran war.
“I feel deeply saddened when people argue that an Igbo man cannot become the president of Nigeria because of the secession attempt,” Obasanjo lamented. “It’s absolute nonsense! The North also planned to break away from Nigeria. Have we forgotten ‘Araba’ so soon?” he questioned, referring to the Northern secessionist sentiment following the first coup in 1966, known as the “Araba” movement.
Obasanjo further highlighted that secessionist sentiments were not limited to any single ethnic group. “What is ‘Araba’ in the North? The North planned to break up Nigeria. Ahmed Joda, a close friend of mine, confirmed this. The West also made their moves. What about the treasonable felony in the West?” he asked, referencing the 1962 arrest of Chief Obafemi Awolowo for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the federal government.
Obasanjo’s statements have stirred fresh debate about ethnic marginalization and the politics surrounding the presidency, especially in light of the increasing calls for power rotation to the Southeast.
He called for unity, saying, “Who among us can say they are better than the other? None. Let us put our heads together and build Nigeria as one.”
The former president’s comments reignite the conversation on fairness in Nigeria’s political landscape, with some seeing it as a direct pushback against those who argue that the Igbos’ historical bid for secession disqualifies them from leadership.
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