The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has narrated an encounter he witnessed while at an event with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, (LP) Peter Obi.
The minister during his speech at the ‘Day of Tribute’, a program for the funeral of a foremost statesman, nationalist and one of the last remaining fathers of Nigerian Independence, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, described how a woman yanked off her wrapper and laid it for the former Anambra governor to walk on at the entrance of the event.
According to Sirika, such show of reverence, is respect and obedience, adding that the woman had laid her wrapper down because that it how she feels things should be.
Sirika also disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari told a man in the United States of America that he will be the first person to support the Igbos to get power if they want Nigeria.
He said that Buhari made this statement in response to the man’s question about whether or not the Igbos want Nigeria.
He said: “[Buhari] went on and on mentioning Igbo people and what they had done for the country which I have forgotten but we have the records. He stated that rather than this massive population of Nigeria, which he claimed to be present in each and every polling unit, attempting to comprehend what Zik himself had said, extending their hands across the nation in order to form a massive political alliance, negotiating, and seizing power, they have instead resigned themselves to the idea of forming a new nation that will be called Biafra. He claimed that this massive population of Nigeria was present in each and every polling unit.
“He stated that if today the Igbo people will call for Nigeria, I, Muhammadu Buhari, will be the first person to throw my vote for them; however, if they ask for Biafra, I will insist on Nigeria, and that will be the drawing line.”
Peter Obi is amongst several State Governors, Ministers, party chieftains and members of the Diplomat Community who attended the Tribute Session for the Late Chief Mbazulike Amechi, the former president of Ohanaeze, who died in November, 2022.
His burial is slated for 16th February 2023 at Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State.