₦airaland Forum

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has blamed the ‘feeling of marginalisation’ of the South-east for the Biafra agitation in the region.

He, however, assured that, if elected, he would tackle the “feelings of marginalisation” in the South-east in order to bring an end to the agitations in the region.

Atiku spoke on Tuesday during the meeting of the PDP south-east leaders in Enugu State.

The event was aimed at “uniting all Ndigbo for PDP” and the presentation of the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, who is Atiku’s running mate.

The PDP candidate said his agenda to rescue Nigeria would benefit the South-east and other regions, stating that his administration will take steps to better the future of the country.

“We must tackle the feeling of marginalisation which is providing an excuse for the separatist agitations in this zone,” he said.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, the national secretary of the party, Samuel Anyanwu, and governorship candidates of the party in Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia States were among those who attended the meeting.

Others include former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, former aviation minister, Osita Chidoka, and some senatorial and House of Representatives candidates of the party in the region.

Also at the meeting were prominent PDP chieftains, including the party’s former spokesperson, Oliseh Metuh, a former Senate President, Anyim Anyim, a senator representing Anambra Central District, Uche Ekwunife, Hyde Onuagulichi, among others.


The South-east has been accusing successive Nigerian governments of marginalising the region since the return of democracy in 1999.

Between 1999 and 2022, several separatist groups have emerged agitating for an independent state of Biafra which they want to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a major pro-Biafra organisation, now proscribed, was founded in 2014 by Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing terrorism charges in Abuja.

The growing insecurity in the region has been linked to IPOB.

IPOB, in 2021, declared every Monday a sit-at-home, to put pressure on the Nigerian government to release its detained leader, Mr Kanu.

Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, has mocked Peter Obi, standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP).

Keyamo’s attack on Obi came a day after Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural group, explained why his organisation is supporting Obi.

“The south-west, as I have pointed out, has produced a president and currently sits as VP; the south-south has spent a total of 6 years in the presidency, but the Igbo people of the south-east have never tasted presidency in Nigeria, and now that the power is due back in the south, equity demands that it be ceded to the Igbo,” Adebanjo had said in a statement.

“We cannot continue to demand that the Igbo people remain in Nigeria, while we at the same time continue to be brutally marginalize and exclude them from the power dynamics.”

But in a tweet on Tuesday, Keyamo said the presidential candidates Afenifere backed in 2015 and 2019 failed at the polls.

“Propelled by a long-held animosity against Tinubu, in 2015, the Pa Ayo Adebanjo Afenifere endorsed Jonathan for President – vanguardngr.com/2015/01/afenif…. In 2019, they endorsed Atiku – vanguardngr.com/2019/02/electi…. In both cases, they failed,” he tweeted.

“Congrats, Peter Obi on this endorsement.”

Propelled by a long-held animosity against @officialABAT, in 2015, the Pa Ayo Adebanjo Afenifere endorsed Jonathan for President � https:///06zqZ8sRmW. In 2019, they endorsed Atiku In both cases, they failed. Congrats, Peter Obi on this endorsement

— Festus Keyamo, SAN (@fkeyamo) September 26, 2022

Irupetepete:
so has this government given you ease of life? Una go just dey type from una anus

Reinaldo:
Obidients are giving them sleepless nights. Peter Obi is the next president of Nigeria BEERFRAUD

chimeremodlyn:
who is this slowpoke?

Corridon:
This is an insult to Nigerians ibo. We will reply PDP at the polls.

Emergingnation3:
Says Afonja Muslim Pi**g.. marauding skull miner...

JAMO4REAL1:
He should go and sit down he don't have dollar to spend during primary Atiku and Saraki can avoid any amount

dechriscool:
The Nigerian Prince...RENO OMOKRI
Everything about him is 'audio'...
Audio house... The real owner of the house chased him away .
Audio marriages - we'll expose more on this.
Audio nuggets... A man who never built any company cannot teach you about Wealth creation except to fool you.
Audio giveaway... A man who abandoned his own children cannot do giveaway for other people's children.
Audio Priest - where's his ministry?
Audio followers - over 30% are fake according to an AI analytics tool.
Audio Presidential spokesman - his job was simply to monitor comments on Goodluck Jonathan's Facebook page. That's the job he left America for.
Audio business Insider award - manipulated his followers including bots to vote multiple times and thus manipulating the voting system.
What is it about this Nigerian prince that isn't audio?
Even his name na audio - Lie-No in Nigeria and Bemi in America. Double identity.
And he has the audacity to insult Peter Obi - the only Nigerian presidential candidate recognised by CNN.

Ulforex:
Vote wisely. Its all about the future of your unborn children.

pealso:
Please tell Reno Nigeria has outgrown this Type if Campaign

If you want to catch an Obidient posing as a Northerner or Yoruba to deceive you about Obi’s popularity, just offer to send them money. They CANT resist money! They will send their account number. That is when you will know the real identity of ‘Haruna’ and ‘Tunde’!

#TableShaker

ibechris:
Nigeria will definitely be great when people like u would have gone to the grave for being a tribalist.

No nation can prosper with high levl of tribalism and hate. And God will some day purge out evil men like u so as to create a better place for others to leave without pointing fingers.

May he also Judge u according to your heart and evil intentions against your fellow Country men and women.

I say Amen to this.

Jennifer663:
My fellow Nigerians IGBOS, stop embarrassing us please

Benjamin Nwaogwugwu, identified as a Nigerian living in the United Kingdom (UK), has been jailed after he was arrested by the police at Manchester airport for swallowing cocaine “worth £80,000”.

According to Daily Mail, the illicit drug was consumed by Nwaogwugwu, who claimed to have been hired by Colombian drug barons, at a hotel in South America before he flew to Paris and then returned to the UK.

The 43-year-old was said to have pretended to be a Liverpool fan returning to the UK after watching the UEFA Champions League final — which held on May 28, 2022 in Paris — when police saw him grimacing in pain at the airport.

It took two days for him to pass out the drugs from his bowels, and after analysis, it was discovered that the cocaine has a “purity of up to 89%” after an examination was done on 19 packages.

According to the report, Nwaogwugwu, said to be married with three children, said some persons threatened to harm his family members in Nigeria if he didn’t transport the drugs.

“The defendant was told if he did not do this, he and his family would be harmed and was threatened. There was a total of 100 packages but the defendant could only swallow 79 and was vomiting blood so had to stop. He was taken to the airport and flown back to France, then onto Manchester,” a statement detailing his plea reads.

“The defendant was under significant pressure to commit this offence but accepts this was not duress. The defendant did not stand to profit financially from this activity.”


He was arrested on June 1, 2022, and jailed for four years and two months after he pleaded guilty to cocaine importation.

Tina Landale, the presiding judge, reportedly said despite Nwaogwugwu’s “clean” record, measures must be taken to “prevent criminals from taking on these types of crimes”.

“You became involved in an enterprise where you attempted to bring cocaine into Manchester,” the judge was quoted as saying.

“You cooperated with it and then you tried to lie your way out of it. Drug smuggling is a vile, vile trade and it’s clear that these criminals prey on the vulnerable and you were exploited.

“Up to now, you had been making a positive contribution to the community and it is clear you are a man of good character and that you care for your family. However, this is an extremely serious offence and there must be a deterrence to prevent criminals from taking on these types of crimes.”

gidgiddy:
First go and verify Peter Obi's certificate, the picture is out

gidgiddy:
My graduation ceremony was on a Saturday, it was the day I was given my certificate, and all if us that graduated that year had that date on our certificates

Dalnadoni:
But does it really matter?

Gunayo:
That same love will one day consume you.