You can’t hold him responsible for 1966 coup – Bashir Ahmad backs Peter Obi

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bashir Ahmad, has said the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, should not be held responsible for the 1966 coup.

Ahmad, a former presidential spokesperson, said Obi was not involved in the coup and should not be blamed for the events simply because of his identity or background.

The APC chieftain was reacting to an interview with Obi that was aired on Arise TV on Thursday.

During the interview, the anchor told Obi that some people in the North had yet to forgive the Igbo for the killing of Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, during the 1966 coup.

The interviewer asked Obi how he would respond to someone in Sokoto who still held the incident against the Igbo and was now being asked to vote for him more than 60 years later.

Responding, the former Anambra State governor said he could not be held responsible for the 1966 coup because he was barely four years old at the time.

Sharing a clip of the interview on his official X handle, Ahmad said, “Nobody should be judged or held responsible for the wrongdoings of others.”

He added that Obi should not be held responsible for the events surrounding the 1966 coup simply because of his identity or background, stressing that the same principle should apply to everyone.

“We must learn to judge people by their own actions, not by the actions of others,” he said