Ohaneze Ndigbo, has called on President Buhari to order the arrest and prosecute Shehu Mahdi for his inciting and criminal statements against the Igbos.
WHAT WE KNOW
The Ohaneze Ndigbo, through her spokesman has called on the President Mohammed Buhari led federal government to arrest and prosecute Shehu Mahdi for his statement asking Northerners not to vote for Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi because he is Igbo.
The Igbo socio-cultural organisation, while speaking on Friday, described the widely condemned statement as distasteful, mischievous, provocative, incendiary and capable of igniting ethno-religious tension in the country.
NOTABLE QUOTES
In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of Ohaneze, Dr. Alex Chidozie Ogbonnia and titled ‘2023: the likes of Mahdi Shehu should be confined: the group noted that,
“The attention of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a video clip that has gone viral, propagated by one Mallam Mahdi Shehu, a Katsina-based activist, to the effect that a vote to Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 general election, is a vote for Biafra.
“In the video, he also alleged that a vote for Obi is synonymous with the destruction of the North. He asked his listeners what they stand to gain by voting Obi, a southerner, etc.
“After listening to the video clip, I was shocked that such a narrow-minded ethnic bigot that holds tenaciously to the grudges of the past is still in our midst in this millennium.
“The uncivilized remarks by Mahdi Shehu are not only disingenuous but out-rightly, distasteful, mischievous, provocative, incendiary and capable of igniting ethno-religious tensions across the country.
“Persons that harbour such despicable thoughts and mindsets are the pernicious cancerous social incubus which has for long held Nigeria down.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls on the federal government of Nigeria to arrest, prosecute and ultimately confine Mallam Mahdi Shehu in a prison to serve as a deterrent to other ethnic inflammatory chauvinists.
“If such a deep ethnic jingoism is allowed to play out in the oncoming campaigns, then the fledgling wing of the eagle may be irredeemably broken.”
BACKGROUND
Recall that the one hitherto unknown quantity, Mahdi Shehu, a Kastina state based activities in a viral video had asked Northerners not to vote for Southern candidates in the forth coming elections.
Mahdi Shehu had particularly asked those listening to him not to vote for Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi, claiming voting for him is a vote for Biafra and destruction of the North.
COMMENTARY
No doubt, the likes of Mahdi Shehu are terribly despicable and unfit for a dynamic society, as they hold onto a fastly fading past.
However, it is surprising how the federal government and security agencies have to be reminded to invite him for questioning.
Recall how the security agencies were quick to announce it’s invitation of a kidnapped bishop who alleged complicity of security persons in their ordeal.
Impressions of double standard only help to exacerbate the volatile fault lines in the nation. Moreover, incitement using ethno-religious jingoism few months to election should not be allowed unchecked, as such may just be an invitation to anarchy in an already troubled Northern region
