Igbokwe Urges Tinubu to Address “Persistent Marginalisation” of Igboland

 

A former Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesperson and close ally of President Bola Tinubu, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, has urged the President to tackle what he described as the persistent marginalisation of Igboland, decades after the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970.

In a post on his Facebook page on Friday, Igbokwe noted that 55 years after the war, the South-East region remains structurally disadvantaged in Nigeria’s political arrangement.

He pointed to the unequal distribution of states across the country’s six geopolitical zones: the North-West has seven states, the North-East, North-Central, South-West, and South-South each have six states, while the South-East has only five.

“It is obvious that the Nigeria/Biafra war that ended in 1970 is not over yet. The war against the South-East continues quietly,” Igbokwe said.

He argued that this imbalance has led the South-East to consistently receive the smallest share of national resources and political opportunities, describing it as deliberate and systemic marginalisation that threatens Nigeria’s unity.

Igbokwe revealed that he has repeatedly highlighted these grievances over the years, including in his book, Igbo: 50 Years After Biafra, published five years ago, but lamented that his appeals have yet to yield tangible results.

“Today, I call on President Tinubu to address this issue and correct the systemic oppression and marginalisation. It cannot continue under a leader who knows how to touch lives and build bridges,” he said.

The APC chieftain dismissed arguments that the South-East is too small in landmass to justify an additional state, citing Rhode Island in the United States as an example of a small state enjoying equal status with larger, economically powerful states.

Igbokwe further appealed to Tinubu to address the region’s grievances as a means of restoring peace and reducing agitations for a separate Biafran state.

“If a father wakes up and notices that his wife and children are unhappy, he must address the problem at home before stepping out. I pray that President Tinubu will take a serious look at this matter and do the needful to restore peace in Igboland,” he added