Chinelo Obogo

A socio-political group, Igbo Kwenu Association, has said Igbo living in the South East and other parts of the country would vote any political party that supports restructuring.

Speaking during a press conference in Lagos, yesterday, two members of the Board of Trustees of the group, Nnamdi Nwigwe and Chigbo Okolie, said only restructuring and true federalism would bring an end to marginalsation, insecurity and underdevelopment in the country.

Okolie said: “One of the key demands of Ndigbo in the present dispensation, to which we are inalienably committed, is restructuring.

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We are also passionate about fighting corruption. Therefore, commitment to restructuring and anti-corruption shall be very strong points in winning the patronage of Igbo Kwenu members, millions of
Igbo in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“We are also aware that the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, from when he was governor of Lagos State, had always advocated restructuring. He always pushed for true federalism and challenged the present structure of the country.

We sincerely look forward to working with him to ensure the implementation of our draft proposal on restructuring and true federalism now and in the near future.

“We are ready to engage all political office seekers in all the political parties to demand and negotiate good governance, inclusiveness and protection of the political, social and business interests of Ndigbo.

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To this end, we are committed, irrespective of whether such office seekers are Igbo or non-Igbo; whether they belong to the Peoples Democratic Party, APC or any other party.”

The group also condemned the exclusion of the South East from the National Defence Council and said it violates the constitution, which makes provision for federal character in such appointments.

“Even the defective 1999 Constitution of Nigeria that we are clamouring to replace provides for federal character, which have not always been obeyed to the letter. In the light of the peculiar times we are in, we would want to draw the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the omission of the South East zone from the National Defence Council, a body saddled with advising the president on national territorial matters.

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Representation of the six geo-political zones in that council will not only enrich its discourse, but will engender greater confidence in the system and help to ease tension and mutual suspicion.”

On the crisis in Imo State APC, the group applauded the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, for not succumbing to pressure from Governor Rochas Okorocha, to give the party’s
governorship ticket to his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu.

While congratulating Hope Uzodinma for emerging the party’s candidate, Okolie said even though the group is non-partisan, it will not keep silent if democracy is being subverted.

“The self-serving design to turn Imo State into a caricature state where one man will be a senator, his son-in-law would be the governor and his second son-in-law will be the deputy governor, while his sister is the Commissioner for Happiness is reprehensible.

This nearly came to pass, but for the resistance of Oshiomhole,” Okolie said.