The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has expressed its condemnation of the naming of the second Niger Bridge after President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement signed by the group’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB criticized the South-East political elites, particularly those in the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration, for allowing the bridge to be named after Buhari.
The group suggested that the bridge should have been named after prominent Igbo figures such as Dr. Alex Ekweueme, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dr. Sam Mbakwe, Prof. Chinua Achebe, or Col. Achuzie, who are deserving of such recognition.
IPOB emphasized that the naming of the second Niger Bridge after President Buhari is unacceptable. They pointed out that Buhari did not even attend the opening ceremony of the bridge.
The group further criticized the government for arresting IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and refusing to release him despite court orders. They questioned the rationale behind naming the bridge after Buhari, who did not initiate or provide funding for the project.
The statement called on the Eastern governors and politicians to rename the second Niger Bridge after a deserving Igbo indigene, suggesting several prominent names.
IPOB warned that if the politicians refuse to rename the bridge, they will be seen as enemies of the people. The group also expressed their opposition to any infrastructure in Biafra Land being named after Buhari and called for the renaming of existing structures that bear his name.
IPOB insisted that the second Niger Bridge must be renamed and proposed that if no suitable Biafran candidate is found, the existing name of Onitsha Head Bridge should be maintained. The group emphasized the need for accountability and stated that they, as the representatives of the people, will hold the Eastern Governors and politicians accountable for their actions.