March 11, (THEWILL) – The apex Igbo socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has demanded an apology from former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to apologise to Igbo and Christian communities for the violence and persecution suffered during his administration.
The organisation made the call following the defection of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and subsequent coalition of opposition leaders ahead of 2027.
A press statement issued in Abakaliki by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and Chief Chinenyeze Thompson Ohia, Deputy President General and National Spokesman Ohanaeze Ndigbo respectively, said It is only appropriate that El-Rufai seeks public absolution by issuing a formal apology to the Nigerian people, as well as to Christian leaders and the affected communities, for his failure to protect their lives and livelihoods amid escalating violence.
According to the release, unless this coalition provides an automatic 2027 SDP presidential ticket to a candidate of Igbo descent and Christian, accompanied by a Northern running mate, any attempt to realign out of this framework is doomed to failure.
The statement reads in part, “In light of his past governance and the consequential suffering experienced by the Igbo and Christian communities during his administration, we resolutely characterise El-Rufai as a political leper and a liability to any party he aligns himself with, particularly the SDP.
“During his tenure as Kaduna State Governor from 2015 to 2023, Nasir El-Rufai presided over an administration that was fraught with serious allegations of violence and persecution directed against Igbos and the Christian populace of Southern Kaduna.
“The scars of traumatic experiences endured by these communities should not be overlooked. It is only appropriate that El-Rufai seeks public absolution by issuing a formal apology to the Nigerian people, as well as to Christian leaders and the affected communities, for his failure to protect their lives and livelihoods amid escalating violence.
“His lack of accountability during those turbulent years underscores a disqualifying flaw in his leadership, which must be addressed before any claim to legitimacy can be made.
“Moreover, El-Rufai must publicly renounce his prior declarations made in 2023, wherein he contended that the impetus for the Muslim-Muslim 2023 APC presidential ticket was rooted in a design for Islamic political supremacy in Nigeria.
“We demand clarity on his role and responsibility for the tragic deaths and insecurity that plagued Kaduna State under his watch. Until he furnishes a detailed account and transparent admission of his failures, Nasir El-Rufai will remain perceived as a political leper—one whose presence in any political domain jeopardises its integrity and viability.
“While Ohanaeze Ndigbo has observed the coalition of opposition leaders mobilising around the SDP in anticipation of the 2027 elections, we must emphatically voice our position without ambiguity: Unless this coalition provides an automatic 2027 SDP presidential ticket to a candidate of Igbo descent and Christian, accompanied by a Northern running mate, any attempt to re-align out of this framework is doomed to failure.
“Should they consider the SDP a Northern party that merely requires Southeastern cooperation to sustain a Northern candidate, let it be known—such strategy is unequivocally dead on arrival.
“Furthermore, we stand firm in our adherence to the principle of a Southern presidency consistent with the gentleman’s agreement regarding the rotational leadership arrangement between the North and South. Allowing a Northern candidate to serve additional years post-Buhari’s eight-year tenure is simply unacceptable. Nigerians will categorically reject any maneuver that seeks to subvert the Southern presidency until 2031.
“In closing, we remind El-Rufai that his path to redemption lies in authentic reconciliation with the historical wounds he has wrought. His political future hinges on his willingness to engage sincerely with the injustices that have marked his political legacy. Until such time, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will not engage with any political party that associates with El-Rufai”, the statement said.
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