Odenigbo Lecture: El-Rufai Came To Test Waters In Imo But Got Wrath Of Ndigbo – Says Ohanaeze Ndigbo 

KINGSLEY EBERE 

The Apex Igbo Sociocultural Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has taken a stand resolutely to remind all political actors who engage in the oppression of the Igbo people that the winds of change are undeniably stirring.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the group stated this on the heels of recent episode involving former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, during the Annual Odenigbo Lectures at Assumpta Cathedral in Owerri, Imo State.

In the press statement signed by the group’s Deputy National President General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and National Spokesman, Chief Chimereze Ohia respectively, the group stated:

“It serves as a stark and unambiguous testament to the wrath of the Igbo people. El-Rufai, upon his arrival, encountered an unapologetic and overwhelming rejection from an audience that views him as a political pariah—one wholly unfit to address the esteemed gathering, particularly in light of his alleged heinous actions against Southern Kaduna Christians, a significant number of whom are of Igbo descent, during his eight years of governance.”

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo takes this opportunity to deliver an unvarnished truth and an uncomfortable message to all proponents of Igbo political subjugation, both past and present, with particular reference to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. We assert unequivocally that the Ndigbo are an enduring and forgiving people, yet they are not forgetful. El-Rufai’s ill-advised decision to participate in the Odenigbo Lectures was likely motivated by two primary ambitions: first, to rewrite the troubled history of his administration, during which over 2,570 Igbo Christians lost their lives, and investments worth approximately 2.3 trillion Naira were rendered inactive; secondly, to gauge the political waters of the Igbo people in hopes of reconstructing the political bridges he so recklessly damaged during his tenure as Governor of Kaduna State”

“What El-Rufai failed to recognize is that the audience he addressed comprised predominantly of families mourning the losses of their loved ones—victims of the systematic atrocities and church burnings that occurred in Southern Kaduna under his watch. The vociferous protests that erupted against him during the Odenigbo Lectures were not mere demonstrations of discontent; they were powerful expressions of collective grief and outrage. His hasty withdrawal from the venue serves as a harbinger of what awaits any political party that contemplates fielding El-Rufai as a Vice Presidential Candidate or running mate.”

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo unequivocally demands that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai publicly confess to his roles in the indiscriminate killings of Southern Kaduna Christians and extend unreserved apologies to Ndigbo. Only through such an act of contrition may he hope to seek redemption for his transgressions.”

“In conclusion, we affirm that the Igbo people will not be passive bystanders in their own historical narrative. We are vigilant, united, and steadfast in our commitment to ensure that justice prevails and that the voices of the oppressed are heard” the group stated.