The spokesperson of the Northern Elders’ Forum, NEF, Ango Abdullahi on Friday backed the call by the Coalition of Northern Youth Groups asking Igbos to vacate the region in three months.
Abdullahi, while addressing reporters in Zaria, Kaduna State berated Northern Governors Forum for disowning the group, an action he described as a “disappointment.”
The Northern Elders’ Forum spokesperson said it was hypocritical for the Igbos to continue to live in other parts of the country while agitating for Nigeria’s break up.
Abdullahi said: “I am disappointed in the decision taken by Northern Governors’ Forum disowning and condemning the agitation by these young agile and progressive youth groups.
“Let me ask, these Northern governors, who are they representing; are they representing spirits, ghosts or people of the north?
“Recently, people from the eastern part of this country, specifically Igbo, were busy calling for the Sovereign State of Biafra and from all indication, their leaders including governors are behind them.”
He stressed that whoever feels Nigeria “is not conducive for him” let him quit, adding that what the northern youth groups did was not a sin.
Lamenting that none of the Northern governors reacted to the persistent call for the actualisation of Biafra and other agitations, Abdullahi said when Nnamdi Kanu was released on bail recently, over 100 vehicles escorted him to his residence including big personalities from the south-west and south-east.
“This is somebody who has been agitating for the breakup of Nigeria but his people were behind him, therefore, I am behind the youths.
“This is because the Northern youths are pushed to the wall, we have been calming them down in any event similar to this,” he noted.