Atiku Reveals Plans To Resolve Youba Nation, IPOB Agitations

The flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has promised to address the agitations by separatists if elected as President in 2023.

It was reports that the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ilana Omo Oodua, and other separatist groups have been agitating over the alleged marginalisation and killings by killer herdsmen.

Speaking on Sunday at The People’s Townhall, an interview programme organised by Channels Television, Atiku said he would dialogue with pro-Biafra agitators, saying that their demands were not beyond negotiation.

The former Vice President said what IPOB needs is more autonomy as far as the South East is concerned, hence his proposal to restructure the country.

He said: “The IPOB issue in the South-East is basically, as far as my understanding is concerned, about the realisation of Biafra. Is it possible for Biafra to be realised today? How? By negotiations or by going through another civil war, which we can’t afford to?

“I believe we should be able to negotiate with the agitators from the South-East, as far as the issue of Biafra is concerned. We believe what they need is more autonomy as far as their sub-region is concerned.

“That is why we proposed restructuring of the country, by which we mean devolution of more powers and resources. After all, there was Eastern Nigeria in the First Republic and they developed at their own pace and with their own resources.”

The PDP standard bearer said restructuring and devolution of more powers and resources would address the various agitations of the separatist groups.

Atiku asserted that there is no single geopolitical zone in the country that on its own can achieve political power except to partner with other regions.

He said: “The agitations are in different perspectives, to my understanding. One of them is political and political has the sense of ‘how does the South-East participate in power sharing in the country?’ And we are in a democratic society.

“There is no one single geopolitical zone in this country that on its own can achieve political power without crossing the Niger or being in alliance with other geopolitical zones.

“I think this is what they should begin to think: How do they partner with other parts of the country to secure political power for their own interests or to protect their own interests? I think these are the ways to go as far as agitations by IPOB are concerned.”