The National Chairman of the Action Democratic Party, Sani Yabagi, has compared Southern Governors to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu and Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho).
His comment follows the communique issued by the governors at the end of a meeting held in Lagos on Sunday.
Recently, the Nigerian government and security agencies clamped down on agitators in the country demanding self-determination.
Kanu fled the country after his bail in 2017 but was intercepted outside the country and flown to Nigeria on June 27.
On July 1, operatives of the Department of State Services stormed the Soka residence of Sunday Igboho in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Two of his associates were killed, 13 arrested and weapons seized.
Southern Governors, on Monday, discussed the invasion and other matters of national concern, including insecurity, open grazing and the Electoral Act.
They demanded prior notification if for any reason federal agencies need to undertake an operation in their states.
The chief executives set September 1, 2021, as the deadline for anti-open grazing law promulgation in member-states.
The forum rejected the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the removal of electronic transmission of results from the Electoral Act and demanded that the presidency be zoned to the South in 2023.
Reacting, Yabagi told Channels Television that the resolutions are divisive and belittle the offices of the leaders.
He said, “I think the coming together of the governors of the Southern extraction is a very wrong way to go about issues that affect the politics of the nation.
“Because the message here, unfortunately, is like ganging up against the rest of Nigerians, particularly the North, by state actors.”
He said governors should be the ones to protect the unity and ensure that all the parts of the country will be comfortable with whoever emerges as the President in 2023.
Yabagi stated that the content of the forum’s communique was targeted at the North and its people.
“When you look at grazing, insecurity, politics of 2023…how can we have elected officials, governors for that matter, coming out in this matter to emphasize things that divide us, not talking about things that unite the country?
“It beats my imagination. It is unfortunate that we don’t have governors today coming together for issues of principles…These governors are not anything better than Igboho or Kanu…”
