G.T GLOBAL 💫

A Referendum for Peace: The Democratic Path to Ending Nigeria’s Cycle of Pogroms and Bloodshed It is with a heavy heart and an unwavering conviction that I say that: Nigeria must confront the national question honestly, or continue to pay an intolerable price in human lives. For decades, our country has witnessed recurring episodes of ethnic and religious violence, mass displacement, insecurity and the destruction of innocent lives. From the anti-Igbo pogroms of the 1940s and 1950s, through the horrifying massacres of 1966 and the tragedy of the Nigerian Civil War, to the continuing attacks on vulnerable communities in different parts of our country, the lesson is unmistakable: the wounds of our national history have not been adequately healed. Today, communities continue to bury their dead, families mourn their loved ones, farmers abandon their ancestral lands, and children grow up amid fear and uncertainty. Whether the victims are Igbo, Christian, Muslim, or members of any other ethnic or religious community, every innocent Nigerian deserves protection, justice and the right to live without fear. Ladies and gentlemen, our nation was amalgamated in 1914 under British colonial administration. Yet, more than a century later, the question of how the diverse peoples of this geographical entity can coexist in justice, equality and mutual consent remains unresolved. The central argument of the document before us is that Nigeria's recurring insecurity cannot be addressed by military operations alone. We must confront the deeper questions of political exclusion, constitutional legitimacy, unequal citizenship, resource control, accountability and the right of communities to determine their political future. We must also insist that allegations of religious persecution, ethnic domination and official complicity be investigated impartially. No individual, institution or government should be above the law. Equally, no ethnic nationality or religious community should be collectively blamed for the crimes of particular individuals or armed groups. This brings me to the question of a referendum. I submit that a properly negotiated, peaceful and democratically conducted referendum on Nigeria's political future offers a credible path towards resolving our enduring national crisis. A referendum is not a declaration of war. It is not a call for the persecution of another people. It is an appeal to the ballot rather than the bullet, dialogue rather than destruction, and the expressed will of the people rather than the perpetuation of an arrangement that many regard as unjust. Let us be clear: a referendum must not be imposed by force, manipulated by political elites, or used to intimidate minorities. It must emerge from a transparent national dialogue, with agreed constitutional and legal procedures, credible independent oversight, freedom of expression, protection of minorities, and guarantees that every affected community can participate without fear. The purpose is to make consent the foundation of our political future. To those who insist that Nigeria must remain indivisible at all costs, I ask: Of what value is unity maintained through fear, grief and recurring bloodshed? True unity is not the absence of a border. It is the presence of justice, mutual respect and a freely renewed commitment to live together. We must, therefore, pursue two urgent objectives: first, immediate protection for endangered communities, impartial investigations, prosecution of perpetrators, and comprehensive security-sector reform; second, an inclusive national dialogue that establishes a credible constitutional pathway to a referendum if the peoples of Nigeria cannot agree on a just and workable union. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, history will judge us not by how fiercely we defended the status quo, but by whether we found the wisdom to prevent another generation from inheriting our conflicts. Thank you. Copied from Maxwell Dede.

A terrorist group does not have lawyers. Anywhere in the world, it doesn’t happen. IPOB is not a terrorist group. If it is, it wouldn’t have lawyers, lead counsel, and special counsel. In Washington, IPOB has lawyers. In Britain, IPOB has lawyers. And when I say IPOB, I mean IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. In Kenya, IPOB has lawyers. In Nigeria, IPOB has multitude of lawyers. Point to any terrorist group in the world that has lawyers. Show me any terrorist group in the world that has won a single court judgment. But IPOB has been winning a string of victories. What does that tell you? It tells you that apart from the federal government, and that very discriminatory action it took in 2017, declaring IPOB a terrorist organization, no other organ sees IPOB as a threat to the state or as a terrorist organization. So, it’s time the federal government goes back to that policy and advise itself, pedal back and say: IPOB is not a terrorist organization. IPOB is a law-abiding, nonviolent freedom-fighting movement that is seeking a separate state through a means recognized under the laws of Nigeria and international community, through referendum. It never said: we want a separate state through war.” By ALOY EJIMAKOR.