By Dele Ade
The presidency has said for Nigerian diaspora groups to use the world’s largest platform – the United Nations General Assembly – to garner attention to their causes is not unexpected.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said in a statement in Abuja, that it was, however shocking, to see “Yoruba Nation” advocates unequivocally throwing their lot in with Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He was reacting as agitators for Yoruba Nation and the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) among others on Wednesday resumed their protest at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
They chanted anti-oppression songs and asked Nigeria’s President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to resign.
Recall that earlier, they vowed to stage a march on September 24 when the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), will address the 76th Session of the high-level General Debate of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York.
NINAS Chairman and leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Banji Akintoye, made this known in a statement through his spokesman, Maxwell Adeleye.
He was reacting to a statement by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, who on Wednesday said, “For Nigerian diaspora groups to use the world’s largest platform – the United Nations General Assembly – to garner attention to their causes is not unexpected.
“It was, however shocking, to see ‘Yoruba Nation’ advocates on Tuesday unequivocally throw their lot in with Indigenous People of Biafra.
“IPOB is a designated terrorist organisation. It has now publicly revealed a 50,000 strong paramilitary organisation.”
Shehu also begged the media to ignore the agitators at the UN Assembly but “focus attention on the core issues the President, the leader of the country has on his Programme”.
Reacting, Adeleye said, “The NINAS Million-Man Freedom March is a success. It really rattles the Buhari Government. The Nigerian Government is now begging the media not to cover our events, trying to paint our march as an IPOB event.
“This is a divide and rule tactic that has failed. NINAS has nothing whatsoever to do with IPOB.
“We should now prepare for the 24th September 2021 when Buhari will address the General Assembly to stage another march.”
The Akintoye-led group had gathered at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday “to alert the UN, and the rest of the Global Community that the Union of Nigeria has failed irredeemably; and is now at the verge of a violent disintegration with catastrophic consequences for global peace, and security as our population of over 200 million would become an Instant global refugee nightmare”.