The apex-Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, is preparing to present specific demands to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a bid to improve the South-West and South-East relationship in Nigerian politics.
Sources indicate that concerns about the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), are central to these discussions.
Efforts in the past by various groups, including political leaders and governors of the South-East states, to secure relief for Kanu have been unsuccessful due to what sources describe as the politicization of the issue.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo leaders are keen to avoid a resurgence of tension between the South-East and South-West under President Tinubu’s leadership.
While Kanu’s situation remains a priority, Ohanaeze Ndigbo aims to address broader issues affecting the relationship between the two regions.
A forthcoming meeting is expected to finalize these concerns, encompassing political, socio-economic, and developmental matters in Igboland.
The organization seeks to foster a stronger bond between the South-West and South-East, advocating for a united Nigeria built on trust rather than suspicion. The issues to be presented to President Tinubu will cover political collaboration, socio-economic challenges, and developmental needs in Igboland.
In particular, attention will be given to growing insecurity in the South-East and longstanding ecological challenges that have impacted the region.
Once the key issues are defined in the upcoming meeting, Ohanaeze Ndigbo plans to seek an audience with President Tinubu. The organization emphasizes the importance of viewing the people of the South East as genuine partners in nation-building, dispelling notions of discontent and marginalization. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Lagos before the end of the week.
