By Clifford Ndujihe

FOUNDER of the  Igbo Youth Movemen, IYM, and Leader of the South East Self Determination Coalition, SESDC, Evangelist Elliot Uko, has decried what he described as abuses being heaped on the Igbo over their electoral choice in the last elections, saying they voted for true federalism in the overall interest of the country.

The South-East and South-South geo-political zones voted for President Goodluck Jonathan and most Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidates in the last general elections.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, won the presidency and majority of seats in the National Assembly, thereby dethroning the PDP as the ruling party, a development that would hurt both zones in sharing of electoral booty post-May 29, 2015.

Commenting on the criticisms trailing the Igbo political stand, Uko, in a statement entitled, ‘Ndigbo deserve respect,’ said:  ‘’The spate of abuses poured on the great Igbo nation by all sorts of characters, from all quarters is both annoying and eye-opening.

“Some blamed us for not abandoning Jonathan, others blamed us for not flowing with the band wagon. They mocked Ndigbo to no end, assuring us that the South-East has surely lost out completely in National Assembly leadership.

“Many assured us, we will be sidelined, oppressed and afflicted. All expected Ndigbo to switch sides and pursue solely political accommodation of any sort without convictions.

‘’Surprisingly, so many pretended they have conveniently forgotten where Ndigbo stand in the debate for a successful Nigeria. Ndigbo stand for a restructured Nigeria anchored on true federalism, based on regional autonomy.

“They told the world so 48 years ago at Aburi, Ghana; they  echoed it at General Abacha’s constitutional conference 20 years ago.

“They re-affirmed it at the 2014 confab, because we truly want Nigeria to survive. Our vote pattern is synonymous with our conviction; that only true federalism will take us to the Promised Land.”