Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari today foreclosed any chance for a referendum as a path to bring healing and closure to the vexing issue of Biafra.


He made the statement during a media event in New York City at the end of his
visit to the United States as the leader of Nigeria's delegation to the 71th United
Nations' General Assembly.

The president stated that the
choice left for Biafran activists is to form a political party that would advance
their interest within the Nigerian democratic space.

The president’s advice to Biafrans activists came a day after commercial activities in some key cities in the South East, and South-South of Nigeria were grounded following a stay at home order from the Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB ). There were also protests in various cities around the world by Biafran activists demanding the release from prison of IPOB's leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
In recent past, the president had been dismissive of Biafran agitators as kids who did not see the Biafra-Nigeria Civil War.

A few weeks ago, while speaking to Youth Corp members who visited him at his country home in Daura, the president pressed on them to ask their friends to forget Biafra.

Mr. Buhari also used the opportunity offered by the media event to outline the accomplishments of his trip to the General Assembly. He stated that Nigeria was well
represented at various meetings held as part of the General Assembly. President Buhari talked about Nigeria's signing of the Paris Climate Change Accord and progress made at the Chad Basin conference. He announced that the US and the UK pledged over $300 million dollars to support the efforts of his
government.


Media personnel at the event were disappointed that the president was not going to take questions from the media despite the event being tagged a press conference. At the insistence of SaharaTV's Adeola Fayehun, the president reconsidered the position and took just three questions. He also granted a ten-
minute interview to the Hausa Service of the Voice of America.


Accompanying the president to the
event were the governors of Lagos and Zamfara states. Other government officials present were ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Defence, Internal Affairs and other top government officials. Buhari departed New York for Abuja after the press conference.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/09/24/no-referendum-biafra-president-buhari

I think that was too blunt.

Nwoke m ga noro ani..
You and these "rooms" you always threaten not to give, don't worry there are still vacancies at Ojuelegba under bride

lalalasticlala, mydn44

Elkay3:
I think that was too blunt.

He cant display weakness on this issue. Using the UN as a platform to deliver this stance was the best this regime could do.

No nation will touch this IPOB issue, as the president has said "form a political party". IPOB would now need to explain, why they cant form a political party to legitimize their cause if it is "legitimate".

God has a way of doing things we humans can't understand. If he refuses to give room in life, he will definitely give rooms in death.

This MAN is very intelligent. We have a democracy. Let Biafra be attempted within that space. All forms of restructuring should also be actualized within that space of democratic institutions and the constitution ammendments that follow can be used to legalize it.
Congrats guys, you people can even bring back Goodluck as your head of state and Patience as fez lady when everything is achieved in the year 2276.

cjrane:


[size=13pt][b]Oga Buhari, Have you not noticed that you are finally forced to accept what your small brain always believe is impossible?

Oga Buhari, have you not noticed that you elevated Nnamdi Kanu to the level of Nelson Mandela by arressting him and illegally keeping him in detention against multiple court orders? Now you have created your own kangaroo court with a hand picked Judge to find a way to sentence him for some trumped up charges using masked fake witnesses.

I'm sure even President Obama mentioned the man "Kanu" by name to you. For the avoidance of doubt, Nnamdi Kanu was broadcasting during Yar'adua and GEJ regime, yet hardly any Nigerian knew him. Sir, you are the biggest asset to Biafran cause. Your hatred and wicked designs for Igbo and the southern minorities is well known and documented.

Anyhow, When the time is ripe, just as you accepted that it was better to save the economy than to continue to peg naira at N198 to the dollar, you will also accept that it is better Biafra get their freedom than the entire Nigeria goes down with it.[/b] [/size]

Do you even understand what Buhari is saying?.He is saying form a party akin to Scottish National party. If your people want ethnic nationalism they will vote for it , if they want greater centrism within Nigeria they will vote for either of APC or PDP or KOWA or any other thing.
There will never be a REFERENDUM in the next 6.5 years he is President.

The sum total of what he is saying - Nothing New.

You guys have a steep road to climb to achieve the unachievable. Please get started the journey dey long.
The other option as I have always said is individual. Ibos can unilaterally year their passports and apply for foreign nationalities. They would automatically lose the benefits of being citizens of Nigeria and I am not sure how property ownership is guaranteed after that. All I know is that up to 5 million herdsmen are waiting to take prime grazing land for their cattle.

Some people are mentally at the field of a 47yrs old civilian war but physically in a president position. When will Buhari remember nobody from the Biafran activist has lifted a stick against him. It has been him all this while threatening and making vindictive statements about a war that ended in his youth days.

There was Massob like IPOB during Obasanjo era down to Jonathan Era, Inshort Yar'adua did not see Biafra activist as an opposition when he reconciled militancy issue in Niger-Delta. But as usual Buhari long experience with civilian war is still making him uncomfortable. Government is a continum, tomorrow another government will come in and little or non of what he said and did today will be remembered.

Adminisher:
This MAN is very intelligent. We have a democracy. Let Biafra be attempted within that space. All forms of restructuring should also be actualized within that space of democratic institutions and the constitution ammendments that follow can be used to legalize it.
Congrats guys, you people can even bring back Goodluck as your head of state and Patience as fez lady when everything is achieved in the year 2276.

some of you people spew out ignorance , what shows that he is intelligent , do you at all know the meaning of intelligence ?

Yea the president is right. Cos there is no such thing as referendum for secession in nigerian constitution. So it will be illegal anyways!