Former Anambra governor and current Labour Minister Chris Ngige has issued a fierce defense of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, calling him a “patriotic hero” who spearheaded the brutal military campaign against Biafran secession without seeking any leave or breaks—even as it claimed over a million lives.
Ngige, speaking exclusively to Arise TV, emphasized that Buhari’s ruthless tactics were aimed solely at preserving Nigeria’s unity—efforts he insists Igbo people will never acknowledge.
Ngige recounted a powerful conversation with Buhari, who described volunteering for the most intense combat zones on the frontlines at General Danjuma’s orders. “While other officers took leave, he stayed,” Ngige recalled .
Buhari, a former Major in the 1967–1970 Biafran War, once controversially admitted that more than one million people died to keep Nigeria unified—a confession that resurfaces ominously in light of rising ethnic tensions . In 2021, amidst South-East unrest, he warned – “Those misbehaving … will have the shock of their lives”—an ominous echo of wartime resolve.
Ngige’s unflinching tribute is already sending shockwaves across the political landscape. In many South-Eastern quarters, his remarks are seen not as praise but as cold reality—highlighting the unresolved trauma of the Civil War and the persistent wounds of anti-Igbo sentiment.
ANN Insight:
Is this praise—or a painful reminder? Either way, Ngige’s words cut deep, reopening old wounds.
Buhari’s legacy is now caught between patriotic myth and ethnic memory—an enduring tension that challenges Nigeria’s fragile unity.
