Leader of Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, has accused Igbo of not giving sufficient financial support to Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying it will be a great shame if Obi suffers from lack of funds.

Adebanjo made this known while speaking at an event in honour of the late President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prof. George Obiozor, held at Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.

The Afenifere leader said: “Unfortunately, the Igbo are not giving Obi financial support. I am challenging you openly. You have not been giving Obi financial support. Those of us supporting him are poor people.

“I know that you people are billionaires. This is the time to spend your money for a good cause. Obi must not suffer anything financially in this cause when he has you people.”

Adebanjo said the death came at a wrong time, as Obiozor was one of the few people who were in a battle to save the country from decades of oppression.

Arguing that it is the turn of Igbo to produce Nigeria’s next president, Adebanjo explained: “This is the condition under which we came together in 1960. It is the condition our leaders, like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo agreed to before we became Nigeria.

“We were not colonised as Nigeria; we were colonised as Igb, o Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw and others. We agreed that to live in peace, leadership must be held in rotation, autonomy for the regions. Therefore, there was federal character in the Constitution.

“When we say it is the turn of the South East, that is their right. It’s their turn. It is justice and equity. Presidency is not between Yoruba and Hausa, it is Nigerian. We have had our turn.”

Convener of the event, Goddy Uwazurike, said Obiozor was deserving of the honour and respect. “He was a great man, an author, public officer, erudite scholar and ambassador. We must remember him,” he said. (The Guardian)

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