Prominent lawyer Aloy Ejimakor has cautioned that producing an Igbo president in 2027 may not resolve the long-standing institutional bias and hatred against the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria.
In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, Ejimakor argued that an Igbo presidency could instead reignite ethnic tensions reminiscent of the events of 1966, which preceded the Nigerian Civil War.
“Assuming an Igbo becomes the next President in 2027, would the Southwest and its ardent allies be happy that it’s an Igbo (or the Igbo) that denied President Tinubu a second term?” he asked.
“Wouldn’t that trigger another round of ethnic-baiting, reminiscent of 1966 when Ndigbo were collectively branded co-conspirators in the first coup?”
Ejimakor raised concerns about the potential challenges an Igbo president would face in tackling insecurity, particularly Islamic terrorism in the North.
He recalled how former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, was accused by some northern figures of retaliating against the region for the Civil War due to his successes against Boko Haram.
He also referenced former President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that “an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the North.”
“Even if an Igbo President scores minimal successes against terror and other problems during his tenure, how can anybody be so sure that terrorism and the other problems won’t resurface, even on a grander scale, once such President leaves office?” he questioned.
The lawyer further wondered whether an Igbo president would have the political capital to correct systemic imbalances without being accused of trying to break up the country.
He noted that vested interests benefiting from the current system could use their numerical strength to frustrate such efforts.
Ejimakor acknowledged that these questions may be uncomfortable for Igbo people and their allies who strongly believe in the symbolism of an Igbo presidency.
However, he urged them to weigh these realities carefully rather than pinning the collective future of Ndigbo solely on producing a president.
“To other Nigerians, would you be comfortable with an Igbo President who would dare to put Nigeria aright or push for an equal political footing for Ndigbo and other disadvantaged groups?” he asked.
Ejimakor served as lead counsel to IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently serving a life sentence on terrorism charges.
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