Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

The Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmed Makarfi, has said the method of agitation being employed by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is worse than that of the Coalition of Arewa Youth Groups.

Makarfi said this on Friday during a live television programme on Channels Television titled, ‘Sunrise Daily’.

The northern youths had in Kaduna three weeks ago issued an ultimatum to all the Igbo people living in the North to vacate the region before October 1, 2017 because of the renewed Biafran agitation.

Makarfi, who is a former Governor of Kaduna State, said although he was not in support of the ultimatum, Kanu’s approach was more infuriating than that of the northern youths.

When asked why the Arewa youths had not received enough condemnation, Makarfi said, “What he (Kanu) is doing is different from what the youth in the North have done. The youth in the North, may be 10 or 15, did a press conference.

“Nnamdi Kanu is holding people to ransom, bringing economic activities to a standstill, holding what will look like a mini rally. None of that is happening in any part of this country. All the leaders in the South-East have said yes we have concerns but the way you are going about it is wrong.

“The northern boys are just press (sic) and they dispersed, period. I am not in support of what they did but I am talking of the manner of their action. Whereas Nnamdi Kanu and his people are consistently holding people to economic hostage and at a particular time, they held the South-East down for a day.

“You don’t find such not just in the North but any other part of the country. You cannot behave that way.”

Makarfi praised the South-East leaders for coming out to state categorically that Kanu lacks the authority to speak for the Igbo. He said agitations are legal but must be done with decorum, devoid of hate speeches.

The PDP chieftain added, “We cannot wish away any agitation, but as part of the South-East, let them come together and approach the government for the implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference report and demand an amendment of the part that is of concern to the South-East but that amendment must also be generally accepted by Nigerians.”

The PDP chieftain supported calls for restructuring but argued that the terms must be clearly spelt out because different people had diverse opinions of what restructuring ought to be.

Punchng