The Guardian (Nigeria)

Don’t compare Buhari with Azikiwe, Awolowo, Ohanaeze slams Adesina

- From Nnamdi Akpa, Abakaliki

THE Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, chided President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, over his claim that Buhari could be compared with the late Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

It described the comment as asycophant­ic fallacy.

In a statement in Abakaliki, the Secretary General of the Chidi Ibeh- led Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that

Azikiwe, Awolowo and others that had paid their dues for the country without resorting to nepotism, foreign loans, abuse of power and ineptitude leadership as witnessed by Nigerians since 2015 should be accorded with some respect.

He further said that the president might be unique and extraordin­ary in his career and lifestyle, but comparing him with Azikiwe and Awolowo is like comparing Idi Amin of Uganda with Britain’s Wilson Churchill,

noting that Azikiwe and Awolowo were the progenitor­s of the nation.

He stated: “Femi Adesina was right because under his boss, Nigeria entered into recession twice. Under Buhari, Nigeria became the world’s headquarte­rs of poverty, unlike Azikiwe and Awolowo who were fascinated with issues of good quality policies that boosted the standards of living of Nigerians in the early ‘ 60s.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide idolises the immeasurab­le past contributi­ons and legacies left behind by Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and others who worked with uncommon patriotism and selflessne­ss that built a viable nation that functions with the internatio­nal community conceding that Nigeria remained Africa’s pride in all ramificati­on.”

Isiguzoro said the presidenti­al spokesman might be afraid of the entrance of Femi Fani- Kayode into the mainstream party.

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