Apex Igbo sociocultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has called on presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar to apologise to the Igbo and the entire Southern Nigeria for bringing divisive politics into his campaigns.
The group also urged the former vice president to withdraw the remark where he said Northerners do not need to vote for a Yoruba or Igbo candidate but a Northern llike him, describing it as divisive and provocative.
Reacting in interview with The Nation in Enugu, the spokesman of Ohanaeze, Alex Ogbonnia expressed disappointment, saying that the remark only exposed Atiku’s mindset about the country.
He added that the remark only contradicts Atiku’s claims to being a cosmopolitan and detribalised Nigerian
Ogbonnia said: “That was a very provocative remark coming from a former vice president of Nigeria. His remark perhaps brings out his mindset about the country.
“It’s a Freudian slip. Something that slips from somebody’s mouth unintentionally, which reveals the persons deep feeling about something.
It is provocative as a matter of fact and contradicts his claims to cosmopolitanism and detribalised Nigerian.
“From the remark that he has made, Atiku hasn’t really shown that he is a detribalised Nigerian.
“It is on record that the Igbo and the South voted for Balewa. They voted for Shagari, Yar’ adua and Buhari. So, why can’t there be reciprocity?
“He should have gone ahead with his campaigns without creating unnecessary ethnic tensions.
“That remark is abysmally low. It’s an ill-advised remark. It’s not good for the former vice president. He should find a way to withdraw that remark.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is disappointed by that remark by Atiku. This is because Ndigbo had voted for Shagari, Yar’adua, Buhari and even supported all the military rulers from the North.
“So, Ohanaeze is calling on the former vice president to apologize to Nigerians and southerners in particular on that unfortunate remark. It is a divisive one”.