11th September 2025, NewsOrient, Opinion, Column, News, Governance And Development, Law And Society
By Ikechukwu Amaechi

“That idiotic anti-el-Rufai ‘protest’ in Owerri: For the avoidance of doubt, Ndigbo didn’t protest against el-Rufai in Owerri, not because they are cowards but because there was absolutely no reason to do so. The non-event called protest was the handiwork of political mendicants of Igbo extraction, who, by the way, should be ashamed of themselves.”

As an Igbo, ever mindful of the country’s chequered political history, when the news filtered in on Saturday that former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, a scion of the Muslim North and major opposition politician, had been whisked away from the venue of the Odenigbo Lecture in Owerri, my first reaction was, not again.

For maximum effect, the story added that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, was cautioned by the protesters. Not again because of the irascibility of Nigerian politicians and the herd mentality of their minions.

The story, which started trending in the social media with an accompanying short video clip, read: “A heavy protest erupted today at the Odenigbo Lecture, Assumpta Cathedral Owerri, as angry crowds demanded the immediate removal of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and warned against Peter Obi’s presence.”

El-Rufai was said to have been swiftly whisked away for his own safety after the so-called protesters declared he had “no moral standing to lecture in a citadel of Igbo heritage, citing his past role as a stakeholder in chaos and hate campaigns against Ndigbo.”

But a quick look at the video clip presented a different picture. There was neither a heavy protest nor angry crowds. Instead, it was a bunch of bedraggled people, not up to 20, at the back gate of the Assumpta Cathedral, who, perhaps, ashamed of their idiotic conduct, covered their faces with placards. It was obvious that the stragglers were mere pawns on the political chessboard of some devious Igbo politicians working hard to please their godfathers in Abuja at the expense of their own people.

Media houses, reading between the lines, gave the story a wide berth, except The Nation newspaper, which, for obvious reason, gave it a front page treatment the following day.

In its report on Sunday, September 7, titled “Protesters boo Obi for bringing el-Rufai to Owerri,” the newspaper claimed, falsely, that: “Hundreds of protesters on Saturday booed former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, in Owerri, the Imo State capital, for hosting Mallam Nasir el-Rufai in the state. Both opposition leaders were in Owerri to attend the Odenigbo Lecture Series organised by the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri.”

Claiming that el-Rufai’s attendance at a Christian event in Owerri in the company of Peter Obi drew the ire of the people, The Nation wrote: “Chanting war songs, the protesters, including men, women and youths, berated Peter Obi for bringing an enemy into Igboland.”

The newspaper which said the protesters described the former FCT Minister as an unrepentant hater of Ndigbo further claimed that “it took heavy security to restrain some of the protesters from physically barring Obi and el-Rufai from gaining entry into the Assumpta Cathedral, venue of the lecture series.”

That reportage is ridiculous. But the charade in the name of protest is even more so. It shows how low politicians, desperate to ingratiate themselves with the powers-that-be, can go. And why would a national newspaper go out of its way to report blatant falsehood even if the idea was to pander to the political whims and caprices of the founder?

First, as the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese has explained, el-Rufai was not invited to deliver any lecture at this year’s event because traditionally, the guest lecturer is always of Igbo extraction since the lecture is delivered in Igbo. And there is a surfeit of Igbo intelligentsia that has undertaken that task over the years. This year’s lecture was delivered by a Catholic Nun, Rev. Sr. Prof. Evangeline Oparaocha of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. And she did so, fluently, beautifully and entirely in flawless Igbo.

Second, Obi was absent at the lecture and he didn’t invite el-Rufai, who has personally clarified that he was a guest of Barrister Nnaemeka Maduagwu, who worked with him when he held the FCT ministerial portfolio.

Third, Nasir el-Rufai was not whisked away from the venue by security operatives because there was absolutely no threat to his life.

For the avoidance of doubt, Odenigbo Lecture, which was started in 1996 by my former lecturer at the Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri – now Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education – the retired Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, His Grace, Dr. Anthony Obinna, is apolitical, being, as it were, an intellectual and spiritual initiative designed to promote Igbo language and culture, and enhance spiritual welfare of the people.

Archbishop Obinna, speaking at a National Stakeholders Conference on Acculturation at the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), Aba, Abia State, in April 2017, explained that the idea was to promote the growth of Igbo language and culture among the native speakers in the country.

And in line with that objective, the first lecture in 1996 themed, Olu m Efula – may my language not be lost – was delivered by Prof. Nolue Emenanjo.

  The second lecture in 1997 with the theme, Chinwendu – God owns life – was delivered by Monsignor Theophilus Okere, while Prof Metu took the third slot in 1998 themed, Onyegbule – Thou shall not kill.

In 1999, the literary Iroko himself, Chinua Achebe, mounted the rostrum to deliver the lecture, Echi Di Ime, taa bu gboo – Tomorrow is pregnant – and Archbishop Obinna rounded off the decade with the 2000 lecture titled, Akuru uwa nile, in honour, as he put it “of Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world.”

So, how could el-Rufai, who doesn’t speak Igbo, be the guest speaker?

Of course, the misguided protesters who were only interested in the few naira notes that greased their palms may not be aware of this fact. As it often happens, they may not even know why they were at the Assumpta Cathedral, not to talk of what they were protesting against. Their sponsors only used them to promote a pernicious and self-serving political agenda without caring a hoot about the implications for Ndigbo in this febrile political season. 

The Archdiocese has urged security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible for the disgraceful outing. But, nothing will happen because it was orchestrated by the same people that are being called upon to do the needful.

In all, it smacks of abysmal lack of emotional intelligence for any Igbo political leader to embark on such dangerous political gambit so as to be invited to partake in the crumbs that are falling from the master’s table at Aso Rock.

Why is there no protest against el-Rufai in the South-West? After all, he claims to be opposed to the second term bid of President Bola Tinubu. Any protest against him should take place either in Lagos or Iragbiji, Osun State. Why Imo which remains a peace-loving state?

Why Alaigbo known for the people’s hospitality to guests and visitors? If anything untoward had happened to Nasir el-Rufai in Owerri on Saturday, the same people whose interests the Igbo political house slaves are promoting will be at the forefront of instigating reprisal attacks against Ndigbo in the North. It happened in 1966.

Anyone who declares Nasir el-Rufai a persona-non-grata in Igboland because of his “past hate campaigns against Ndigbo,” is being economical with the truth. Granted, he has said many uncomplimentary things against us in the past particularly during the last elections, but he is not known to be a gracious person. In any case, isn’t the culture of abusing Ndigbo, Nigerians’ bête noire, a national pastime?

Didn’t Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), just last week, add insult to the injury Ndigbo continue to nurse in Nigeria when she retweeted, without any provocation, a very vile post referring to them as “monkeys, children of gorillas and bastards?” Abike, a former member of the House of Representatives and broadcast journalist, who ought to know the implications of ethnic slurs and bigotry in a fragile society such as Nigeria didn’t just retweet the odoriferous material, but also added, on her own, multiple laughing emojis to rub it in.

What about Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s media adviser, and his unceasing castigation of Ndigbo, in what amounts, most times, to hate speech?

After all, Achebe’s poignant quip that “Nigerians will probably achieve consensus on no other matter than their common resentment of the Igbo” is as true today as it was yesterday.

So, why would any reasonable Igbo join those that treat them with scorn to fight their presumed enemies? Hasn’t enough Igbo blood been spilled for Nigeria’s sake?

For the avoidance of doubt, Ndigbo didn’t protest against el-Rufai in Owerri, not because they are cowards but because there was absolutely no reason to do so. The non-event called protest was the handiwork of political mendicants of Igbo extraction, who, by the way, should be ashamed of themselves.

– Ikechukwu Amaechi Is The Editor-In-Chief Of TheNiche Newspapers

~ Published By NewsOrient Network

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