A member of the All Progressives Congress, Joe Igbokwe, has called on Igbo people to abandon the agitation for the creation of an independent Biafra state. In a post on his official Facebook page, Igbokwe listed 11 points urging South-East indigenes to shift focus from separatist demands to national integration. He emphasized the need for Igbos to build bridges of friendship, trust, and cooperation across Nigeria. Igbokwe criticized what he described as a "paranoid grandiosity" and a "selfish sense of superiority" among some Igbos. He specifically condemned the "I Better Than Others" syndrome and urged a rejection of ethnic preoccupation. Cultural competence and emotional intelligence, he said, should guide interactions in Nigerian politics. He stressed that politics is a game of numbers, implying the importance of alliances and inclusivity. Igbokwe also denounced violence linked to the Biafra cause, stating, "Let Igbo stop killing their own people and burning homes in the name of the useless Biafra project." He encouraged Igbos to reduce confrontational rhetoric, saying, "Let us not be too loud, let us stop the noise and do." The APC member framed his appeal as a constructive intervention aimed at fostering unity and practical engagement within Nigeria's political system. No official response from Biafra-support groups or government agencies was mentioned in the source.
Joe Igbokwe's public rebuke of Biafra agitators exposes a growing rift within the Igbo political class over the legitimacy of separatist demands. His description of the Biafra project as "useless" and his claim that it leads to Igbos killing their own contradicts the narrative of peaceful self-determination promoted by some pro-Biafra advocates. While he calls for emotional intelligence and cultural competence, he simultaneously frames an entire ethnic group's political sentiment as pathological. The appeal to "stop the noise" risks dismissing deep-rooted grievances without addressing their origins.
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