Chukwuemeka Ezeife, a former governor of Anambra State, has spoken out about the attacks on Igbos in Lagos during the recently concluded gubernatorial election.
WITHIN NIGERIA reports that the widespread attacks on Igbo voters in Lagos during the March 18 election led to palpable tension in the state.
During an interview with Vanguard, Ezeife shared his thoughts on the situation, expressing concern that the end of Nigeria may be closer than expected.
He insisted that if the country’s two major ethnic groups, the Yoruba and Igbo, are pitted against each other, then there is a deliberate plan to end Nigeria.
He said;
I fear that we are getting to the end of Nigeria. Some people don’t want Nigeria to continue. The two groups, who, if they agree to work together, can stabilize Nigeria, are being set against each other. Nobody can dominate Nigeria if Yoruba and Igbo agree to work together. This is a deliberate plan to end Nigeria. But Nigeria will not end because God created this country with great favour.
Speaking further, the elder statesman expressed fear that if the profiling of Igbos continues, they might get violent and fight back.
He added:
What frightens me is that if this thing goes further, the Igbo would show who they are and it won’t be good for the country. Nobody can be more violent than the Igbo who is determined to defend themselves in the face of aggression. We are gifted in many ways by God.
We should be thanking God that we are not spilling blood. I think there should be a way out of what is happening. Igbo and Yoruba elders should meet and find a way to ensure this does not happen again, he added.
Speaking on those responsible for the inciting comments, Ezeife noted that there were suspicions that the All Progressives Congress might be responsible.
We don’t know the origin of the problem in Lagos. But there are suspicions that APC is the main implementer of the problem. That is why people are suspecting APC is behind it. Igbo people voted for one Nigeria. Nobody invited them to Kano, nobody invited them to Lagos and nobody invited them anywhere. Yet, anywhere you go in Nigeria, you find them prospering in large numbers. It is just their destiny and nothing changes it.
It is not every Igbo man that is thinking about moving all investments back home. Some may think retaliation, but that would be bad.
People should not provoke the Igbo people into thinking about fighting back. The Igbo voted for one Nigeria and it won’t be good for Nigeria if they are made to think about retaliating the attacks on them. Nobody should think of retaliating. Things would change for the better, he added.
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