The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, said President Bola Tinubu, governors, other political office holders and politicians should not abondon the country and instead be campaigning for the 2027 general elections while hunger, poverty and insecurity continue to afflict millions of Nigerians.
Igwe Achebe stated this during the 2025 Ofala Festival in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Friday, adding that the neglect was worsening the country’s economic and social challenges.
The monarch warned that the current pursuit of political ambition could further deepen hardship and instability nationwide.
Igwe Achebe said “the reality on the ground is dire. The unending violence in most parts of the country continues to affect the agricultural sector very seriously.”
Despite implementing “laudable macroeconomic stabilisation measures,” Achebe said the Federal Government must ensure transparency and fairness in distributing palliatives to vulnerable citizens.
He said relief materials must reach hungry Nigerians directly and not be derailed by corruption or bureaucracy.
Igwe Achebe lamented over insecurity and its economic toll in the South East, citing the recent conviction of Finland-based separatist agitator Simon Ekpa as a “potential turning point.”
Referring a report by SBM Intelligence titled Four Years of Disruption, Achebe said the South-East economy had lost about ₦7.6tn since 2021 because of insecurity and the sit-at-home disruptions.
“The scourge of violence and kidnapping in the South-East continues to mutate in different forms. We pray that the recent conviction in Finland of Simon Ekpa will contribute to a general reduction of violent crime in the region.
“This is the moment for deep reflection among Ndigbo. Nigeria and the world are leaving us behind due to the deliberate actions of a few purveyors of violence among us,” he added.
Igwe Achebe Achebe called for peace, transparency, and voter participation, lamenting the low turnout in the ongoing voter registration in the run up to the upcoming Anambra governorship election slated for November 8,.
“In the first week of the INEC registration exercise, only 2,482 persons pre-registered online across four South-East states, excluding Anambra, compared to 848,359 in the South-West. This is alarming and demands urgent mobilisation by our leaders,” he said.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that the 2025 Ofala Festival — the 24th edition — lived up to its billing with cultural splendour, as dignitaries, traditional rulers, and visitors from within and outside the country in attended the occasion.
Igwe Achebe who is marking the 24th Ofala celebration since ascending the throne in 2002, appealed to Nigerians to remain resilient and united.
“Our theme last year was ‘Better. Stronger. Together.’ It was a call on our people to consolidate on our breakthroughs and galvanise for the challenges ahead. That message remains as relevant today as ever,” the monarch said.
