Buhari’s disdain for Ndigbo

Sir: President Muhammadu Buhari’s first speech as President in 2015 was that those that gave him five per cent of the votes shouldn’t expect equal treatment with the others. This statement was rather unfortunate as it was highly divisive and unbecoming of a supposed national leader. His appointments also greatly shortchanged the south east as none of them was found worthy of any sensitive position despite their brilliance and qualifications.

Buhari made a monumental PR gaffe on the now suspended Twitter when he tweeted that he would deal with the Igbos in the language they understand in reference to the Nigerian Civil War where he fought on the Nigerian side as a then young military officer. Twitter of course took down the tweet which led to the retaliatory move by the government in suspending it and refusing to lift the suspension despite the taking down of Nnamdi Kanu’s tweets by the micro blogging platform at the request of the Federal Government who found them utterly offensive.

In his presidential interview with Arise Television on June 10, Buhari described IPOB and the entire Igboland as a ‘‘dot in a circle’’ which led to public outcry not only by the Igbos but also by their sympathisers from all over the country and globe. No word of apology has been offered by Buhari up till now for that linguistic disparaging of an entire tribe.

Buhari ought to act like an elder statesman and not some tribal jingoist in order to unite the country and douse the secessionist agitations that are gaining sturdy grounds by the day. Is it not a shame that Prof. Banji Akintoye and Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho are leading the campaign for the emergence of the Oduduwa nation despite the fact that his Vice President is a Yoruba man?

He has obdurately rejected calls for restructuring which will lead to a better deal for the South East, opining that the advocates for it should take their case to the National Assembly which is dominated by the conservative north who are the largest beneficiaries of the current lopsided structure and are naturally opposed to change as no one in his or her right senses will cut his nose in order to spite his face.

Buhari still has less than two years left to ensure restructuring and devolution of powers for a genuine federal structure to emerge and operate. This will in no miniscule measure douse the current separatist agitations and reduce the ethnic tensions in the country.

History would be unkind to him if he doesn’t allow restructuring to occur.

Tony Ademiluyi is the co-founder of The Vent Republic and wrote from Lagos.