A former Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Eugene Ogu, has kicked against the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in 2027 by certain political figures in the South-East.
The cleric, who expressed deep disappointment over the move, maintained that any support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is invalid as long as the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, remains in detention.
According to Ogu, it is a “curse on the Igbo people” for leaders to prioritize political alliances over the freedom of their own.
He argued that the continued incarceration of Kanu, despite various appeals for a political solution, remains a major hurdle to any genuine partnership between the region and the federal government.
The outspoken clergyman also drew a sharp contrast between the federal government’s treatment of Nnamdi Kanu and its approach to security challenges in the North.
He specifically referenced the recent decision by the Katsina State government to facilitate the release of 70 convicted bandits under the guise of peace-building efforts.
Ogu noted that it is contradictory to release persons who have actively participated in violent crimes while a prominent figure from the South-East is still held behind bars.
He further accused South-East political leaders of lacking a sincere commitment to the welfare of their constituents.
The cleric expressed worry that while other regions are negotiating for the freedom of their people, Igbo politicians seem more interested in securing their own political futures.
Ogu took a swipe at the recent APC stakeholders’ meeting in Enugu State, where the endorsement of President Tinubu was reportedly formalized.
He called on all Igbo professionals, students, traders, and those in the diaspora to distance themselves from what he described as a betrayal by “sellout politicians.”
In a strong message to the South-East community, the cleric stated:
“I am calling on all Igbo associations, professionals, men, women, traders, students, youths and transporters, at home and abroad, to vehemently disassociate themselves from that embarrassing endorsement of Tinubu for a second term by sellout politicians in the South-East.”