By: Tunde Olawoyin
Now to the point: referendum is not magic and it is not something that happen without the inclusion of referendum in the manifesto of the ruling party. In U.K., David Cameron campaigned on the promise of referendum on British membership of the EU.
Once he was voted in, the promise becomes a policy instrument that must be carried out. Same way the SNP government in Scotland carried out referendum on Scottish independent but failed to secure the required majority.
To explain it better, firstly, you cannot force a government that never promised referendum to give you one. Secondly it is not enshrined in the 1999 constitution that’s currently the legal framework of Nigerian government.
Therefore it is like asking for something that is not in existence. Having said that, there is need to point out the fact that there is nothing wrong with peaceful agitation but not in a manner that’s devoid of any common sense.
Kanu recently said in an interview that he and his supporters will truncate electoral process in the coming election in SE. This is purely a call for anarchy He need to take these two steps if he is truly serious about his agitation;
1. The first thing Igbo youth need to do if truly they don’t want war is to vote a government that will have referendum as its manifesto into power.
2. Let Kanu formulate a party that will have IPOB hardcore members elected to represent SE at both local and national level.
This is the only way the Biafra agenda can be push at the current situation without confrontation with the Nigerian force. Making noise, rioting and giving unnecessary order for people to stay at home will only attract the wrath of the government ( no government will allow a parallel government) Saying we don’t want war an acting in a way that’s tantamount to war is the highest level of hypocrisy.
I can only wish IPOB luck with the Biafra ambition.
Olawoying writes from Lagos
