Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), on Monday, described the recognition accorded to the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential poll, Moshood Abiola, by President Muhammadu Buhari as ‘the highest display of hypocrisy’.
It said that the move was merely a calculated attempt to deceive the people of South West in order to get votes from them in the 2019 presidential election.
MASSOB also wondered why President Buhari, who they claimed did not condemn the alleged injustice to Abiola in the past, has decided to honour him when the next election was just by the corner.
MASSOB also wondered why the President did not deem it important to take the action about three years ago when it took over power in 2015 only to turn around to remember at election period.
This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital by the leader of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu. He therefore warned the people of South West to be wary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s intentions.
The statement read in parts, “Though MASSOB received the news with consternation that President Mohammed Buhari has changed the May 29th Democracy Day to June the 12th to honour the fallen heroes of Oduduwa people, we condemned this sheer hypocritical gesture of the Islamic caliphate run by President Buhari and his Fulani kinsmen.
“It is not that MASSOB and the people of Biafra are not happy about the fact that Abiola is acknowledged. It is the cheap attempt to use his supreme sacrifice to score some unearned political points and cornered subtle political favours for the caliphate.
“President Buhari was an active part of the General Sani Abacha administration that incarcerated Moshood K Abiola for several years. It is instructive that throughout that struggle, the voice of Buhari who at the time was already an elder statesman having ruled Nigeria as a Military Head of State and retired before that time was not heard on the issue. He was deathly silent on the gravely travails and persecutions of Abiola.
“He found his voice when the General Sani Abacha administration made him Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and Abacha became his hero. The same Abacha had Abiola incarcerated for several years until his inglorious passing away in June 8, 1998.
“At no time did Buhari on record appealed to Abacha to release Moshood K Abiola from detention and accord him his due respect and mandate freely given to him by the electorates.
“It is on note that this same Buhari has been President for three years, he has celebrated May 29th Democracy Days four times. At no time did he deem it fit to even acknowledge Abiola as a hero of Nigeria’s democratic experience.
“Now one year to another general election, ten days after honouring and observing the only Democracy Day he truly believes in, and possibly his very last as President, now wants to grant a gift to the Oduduwa people with some posthumous awards for their heroes in the Oduduwa land. MASSOB believes that millions of Oduduwa people cannot be fooled.
“MASSOB wishes to remind the progressive minded persons and true sons and daughters of Odua land that Ottoman Dan Fodio caliphate as presently run by President Muhammadu Buhari and his Fulani kinsmen are real parasites that have no conscience in dealing with non Fulani.
“They have an agenda against the general interest of the nations that made up this geographical expression called Nigeria. The caliphate Fulanis are bent on implementing the ordinances and commands of their great-grandfather, Ottoman Dan Fodio”, the statement concluded.