As Northern Elders Seek Exit Of South East From Nigeria

Biafran Agitators

 As Northern Elders Seek Exit Of South East From Nigeria

One of the stories that are trending in Nigeria is about the Northern Elders under the auspices of Northern Elders Forum (NEF) going to court to compel the leadership of the National Assembly to activate moves to allow the South East of Nigeria, which is predominantly Igbo speaking, to leave the Nigerian Union.

It was the Northern Elders response to the vociferous agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), already proscribed by the Nigerian government, for the secession of the region from Nigeria under the banner of Biafra. The area constituted about 70 per cent of the defunct Biafra that fought a bitter three years Civil War with Nigeria to secede from the Nigerian Union between 1967 and 1970 in which over 3million lives was lost.

Almost 51 years after the war in which the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon declared that there was ‘no victor, no vanquished,’ things are falling apart in Nigeria because of leadership failure to manage the country’s ethnic and religious diversity.

Agitation for separatism is growing once again in the East and also in West where several groups have emerged demanding that the South West, who are mainly Yoruba speaking, be granted sovereignty as Oduduwa Republic.

However, it is the Biafran agitation (perhaps because of the civil war) that has captured the imagination of Nigerians and the international community. It is therefore no surprise that the Northern Elders take the Biafran agitators more serious than the Oduduwa Republic agitators, even though the apex leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, Banji Akintoye is a reputable professor, and the group is getting recognition internationally.

The suit by the Northern Elders filed since June this year, was back in the news because there was a lacuna, and it was that lacuna that the group of Igbo lawyers want to see resolved. Because you cannot shave a man’s head in his absence, the suit by the Northern Elders has received a response from an interested party.

Yesterday, lawyers from Igbo-speaking region of Nigeria applied to the Federal High Court in Abuja, to join them as defendants in a suit filed by a group of northern elders praying for the exit of the south east region from Nigeria following the agitations of the outlawed IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu.

The lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Chuks Muoma, Ukpai Ukairo, Ebere Uzoatu and Hon Obi Emuka are asking for an order of the court to allow them join in the suit as representatives of the people of the South Eastern region.

In their application for joinder filed by Victor Onweremadu, the applicants claimed that the case of the northern elders seeking the exit of South East from Nigeria has the capability to shape the life of the generation of Igbo people.

The motion on notice for the joinder request was brought pursuant to order 9 rule 5 and order 26 rule 2 of the federal high court civil procedure rule 2019.

The Northern Elders had in June this year filed the contentious suit asking the court to compel the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives to hasten the exit of the South-Eastern region out of Nigeria before concluding on-going amendment to the country's Constitution.

The request for court order to compel hastening of South East exit from Nigeria was one of the three prayers sought in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/538/2021 instituted by a group of elders and politicians from North led by Nastura Ashir Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’I, Abdul-Aziz Sulaiman and Aminu Adam.

In their suit, they averred in a supporting affidavit that their action was informed by the need to stem the tide of violence and destruction being allegedly occasioned by the agitation for secession championed by the Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB.

Plaintiffs claimed that they do not want a repeat of the 1967 to 1970 civil war in Nigeria that cost the nation many innocent lives and properties worth billions of naira.

Listed as defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.

Although the Igbo are not joined in the suit, the Igbo lawyers claimed that they have interest to protect in the suit, hence, their request to be made a set of defendants in the case.

In their 12-paragraph affidavit in support of their application, the lawyers noted that the Northern Elders in their suit did not think it necessary to join the people of the South East or their representatives to enable the court to hear from them.

The affidavit deposed to by one Ekenna Felix Jonathan reads in part "That this suit is so crucial and a sensitive matter which concerns the Indigenous Igbo speaking tribe in Nigeria and has the capability to shape the life of the future generation of the people of the South East of Nigeria and other Indigenous Igbo speaking tribe in Nigeria.

"That the Igbo Lawyers Association represented by the applicants are an indigenous association of lawyers from the South East of Nigeria and other indigenous Igbo speaking tribes in Nigeria.

"That the Igbo Lawyers Association and its objective is to represent the interest of the Igbo people which said people are Indigenous in the South East of Nigeria. Thus, the association is interested and is a necessary party to be joined.

"That it will serve the interest of justice if the honourable court grants the application and joins the applicants as defendants in the suit and that the plaintiffs will not be prejudiced if the application is granted". Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo has fixed November 1 for hearing of the suit.

Nigeria is a creation of law, therefore it is good that the Northern Elders and the Igbo lawyers are following the legal process in settling their differences. It is also important to note that what the Northern Elders want the National Assembly to do; allowing South East to exit the Nigerian Union is not a novelty. It has been done before.

Malaysia did the same to Singapore. Malaysia and Singapore used to be one country. On 9 August 1965, Singapore was expelled from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state. The separation was the result of deep political and economic differences between the ruling parties of Singapore and Malaysia, which created communal tensions that resulted in racial riots in July and September 1964.

The proclamation declaring Singapore’s independence was announced on Radio Singapore on 9 August 1965. Simultaneously in Kuala Lumpur, the Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman announced the separation to the federal parliament. He then moved a resolution to enact the Constitution of Malaysia (Singapore Amendment) Bill, 1965, that would allow Singapore to leave Malaysia and become an independent and sovereign state. The bill was passed with a 126-0 vote and given assent by the end of the day.

Today both Malaysia and Singapore are doing very well. In Malaysia Islam is the predominant religion and is recognized in the constitution as the “religion of the Federation,” even though it claims to be a secular state. On the other hand Singapore is predominantly a Buddhism nation, followed by Christianity. I expect the suit filed by the Northern Elders to go all the way to the Supreme Court if they are serious. It is the apex court that will eventually grant their wish or otherwise. Nigerians are waiting!