In a recent interview with Vanguard, Chief Chekwas Okorie, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), addressed concerns surrounding the decision of the Igbo community not to participate in the national protests.
Okorie reiterated that one major concern was the tendency for Igbo people to become scapegoats in such situations, where any related attack would be unfairly focused on them.
He stated that during previous administrations, including that of President Buhari, the Igbo were often targeted unfairly. Okorie also stated that the political landscape had made the situation more precarious for the Igbo. He mentioned that, despite the Igbo’s support for presidential candidate Peter Obi, this choice was viewed negatively by other Nigerians.
He said, “We saw a lot of it under Buhari, when Igbo will do what others are doing, and Buhari will come out and either describe the South-East as a dot in a circle, or he will say he will deal with them in the language they understood. This was the commander-in-chief and president of a country. So you can imagine!
“In politics, the Igbo have all along voted for other people but, this time, the majority of them voted for Peter Obi and it became a political sin in the eyes of other Nigerians. So, how do you expect Igbo people to process all of this and still have a sense of belonging? The Igbo don’t have a sense of belonging in Nigeria. And I tell you, when a critical race like Igbo begins to feel this way – withdrawn – Nigeria should be concerned that something ominous is brewing.”….Sëe ~ Morê