26 million Igbo registered voters to be mobilized
Maduako Igbokwe l Sunday, December 20, 2020
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – The World Igbo Summit has reiterated its call for president of igbo extraction in the country, just as it urged the Igbo politicians to ensure that their respective political parties produce candidates of Igbo extraction as presidential candidate of their political parties in the 2023 presidential election.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the summit jointly signed by Senator Ike Nwachukwu, Prof. George Obiozor Prof. Gregory Ibe, Iyom Josephine Anenih and Dr. Ifedi Okwenna at end the of 6th World Igbo Submit
The Igbo summit also called on Igbo legislators in the National Assembly to seek collaboration with members from other zones to amend the Electoral Act to accommodate a provision that compels independent National commission INEC to ensure rotation clause in parties constitution, as a requirement for registration .
The Igbo Summit held on 18th and 19th December 2020 at Gregory University Uturu GUU Abia state, has the theme “Enduring Future for Ndigbo: Expectations and Challenges” and was aimed at reawakening the Igbo consciousness and ensuring that Ndigbo become more organized and cohesive, making their voices and demands for restructuring Nigeria and networking for Presidency of Igbo extraction, loudest.
According to the communiqué, the summit was organized to bring together Igbo elders, leaders and great minds to x-ray the historic and contemporary realities in Nigeria today like the impact of Covid-19 Pandemic, the EndSARS phenomenon and its resetting agenda on the socioeconomic and political landscape of Nigeria, and proffer options to achieving the set targets for Ndigbo going forward.
The Summit also urge Ndigbo to remain politically active and conscious to ensure that about 26 million registered voting strength of Ndigbo all over Nigeria are effectively mobilized, through regular voter education to strengthen the capacity of the zone to negotiate and ultimately win the Presidency
The submit said : “We shall continuously seek for a system or polity that guarantees and secures our social, political and economic interest in Nigeria, based on equality of citizenship, equity and justice.
“That we shall diligently and boldly work hard to convince other Nigerians to support Igbo’s quest to become the President of Nigeria as 2023 is the right time for Ndigbo to occupy the seat of the Presidency of Nigeria.
“To this end, the summit therefore urges igbo politicians to ensure that their respective political parties produce candidates of igbo extraction as presidential candidate of their respective political parties. We call Igbo legislators in the National Assembly to seek collaboration with members from other zones to amend the Electoral Act to accommodate a provision that compels INEC to ensure rotation clause in parties constitution, as a requirement for registration, while all our sons and daughters in any political party strive to ensure “rotation of Presidency” , the Igbo summit said in the communiqué.
The Igbo Summit urge Ndigbo to remain politically active and conscious to ensure that the about 26 million registered voting strength of Ndigbo all over Nigeria are effectively mobilized, through regular voter education to strengthen the capacity of the zone to negotiate and ultimately win the Presidency.
The communiqué noted that Ndigbo know that they can only realize their aspiration through persuasion of other Nigerians and are therefore ready and are engaging other Nigerians and people, and are not antagonistic and abusive as some people are wrongly asserting
The summit reaffirmed the urgent need for restructuring of Nigeria to allow for growth and development in line with resolutions of the 2014 National Conference and The Awka declaration of Ndigbo on restructuring of Nigeria
“The Summit acknowledge the fact that Ndigbo have substantial investments and is doing business in various parts of the country, we call on the Federal Government to ensure the security of lives and property of all Nigeria, particularly Ndigbo, as they are usually the main target of hoodlums in times of crisis” .
The Summit expresses its appreciation to the Chancellor and Management of Gregory University for being a wonderful host and for their commitment to the re-engineering of Igbo growth and development through her Igbo Renaissance Center
Some of the of Igbo leaders that attended the meeting chaired by former Chief of General Staff/Vice President of Nigeria, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe Rtd were the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who also declared the Summit open. Others include Federal Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onuh, former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim senator Ike Nwachukwu, Prof, Joe Irukwu, Prof George Obiozor, Prof Ihechukwu Madubuike, Professor Greg Ibe, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Dr Ifedi Okwenna, Prof. Augustine Uwakwe, Dr Okey Ikechukwu among other Igbo great intellectuals, professionals, businessmen, Civil society activists, gender advocates and other experts of Igbo estraction residing in different parts of the world.
