2027: Group Initiates Process to Birth Igbo Political Charter

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Enugu

A socio-political organisation, the Igbo Agenda Dialogue(IAD) has initiated a process that would, for the first time ever, birth a broad-based political agenda that would shape the political behaviour of Ndigbo in 2027 and beyond.

The Convener/Chairman of IAD, Chief Chekwas Okorie, made this known yesterday at a press conference in Enugu, saying that time has come for the Igbo ethnic nationality to maximise their population and take their political destiny in their own hands.

He also announced plans by the group to embark on a robust campaign to get at least 35 million Igbos of voting age within and outside the South-east zone register and vote in the forthcoming 2027 general election.

“We have resolved to mount a robust and sustainable machinery to arouse Igbo political consciousness to take our destiny in our own hands within the context of Nigeria’s extant laws and constitution.

“We have further resolved that never again will the votes of the vast Igbo voting population in Nigeria be taken for granted and without conditionalities,” he said.

Okorie, who was flanked by other executives of IAD, explained that the non-partisan, prodemocracy of the Igbo people in Nigeria and the Diaspora came about because of the need to “reset the Igbo political engagement 

He announced that the first ever Igbo Political Charter would be unveiled in April at the first ever Igbo Political Summit scheduled to hold in Enugu, the regional/political capital of the South-east zone and Ndigbo in general.

Okorie said that when unveiled, the Charter would be the first political charter by the Igbo since the famous Ahiara Declaration in 1967 that gave birth to the defunct Republic of Biafra.

He stated that Ndigbo deserve to have a common political agenda given the fact that there are Igbo people who are indigenous in about 13 states in Nigeria and have a substantial population in the remaining 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT).”

 According to him, if Ndigbo could maximise their dispersed population there would be in a vantage position to make a poignant political statement with their votes and decisively determine the outcome of any national election.

 He therefore, said that IAD has undertaken the task of persuading all eligible Igbo men and women to register and obtain their voters card. 

 “IAD shall mount a robust campaign to persuade every Igbo person with the voters card to actively participate in all democratic processes wherever they reside in Nigeria. 

“IAD shall mount a robust and sustained political education of our people to appreciate and accept that we can restore our relevance and respect in (Nigeria’s) democratic space without begging anybody to do for us what God has already given us the power to do for ourselves,” the convener said. 

 He made it plain that IAD “will lead the effort” for Ndigbo to speak with a resounding voice with their votes despite “the man-made balkanisation of our geopolitical space through obnoxious boundary adjustment program, state and local government creation by post war Nigerian governments.”

To achieve its goals, Okorie said that “the IAD grid” has been created to connect and link up all known Igbo groups, associations, unions, among others, for effective communication, feedback and action within the shortest possible time as the case may be”. 

He stated that the IAD grid was necessary “knowing that it is on record that there are Igbo communities in all the 196 countries on the world map”, adding that though the task before it is enormous, IAD was determined to steer the course.

“We are happy to report that we are greatly inspired and encouraged by the outpouring of excitement and enthusiastic responses from across the world already,” Okorie said.

On the 2027 outlook for Ndigbo, the IAD Chairman said that the group was aiming to ensure that the projected 35 million Igbo voters, comprising 20 million in the Southeast zone and 15 million in other states would cast their ballots whenever they reside.

“With a voting force of about 35 million voters, our place of pride, relevance , and respect will be restored without firing a shot,” Okorie said, alluding to the ongoing separatist agitation in the Southeast.

However, he said that the IAD has undertaken  “to reach out and constructively engage our aggrieved young men and women to persuade them on the benefits of deploying democratic tools to achieve our legitimate objectives and aspirations in Nigeria”.

But Okorie, who founded the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the United Peoples Party (UPP), insisted that the federal government should do the needful to douse tensions in the South-east zone.

“We appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to collaborate with us in this noble and patriotic venture by ordering the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other prisoners of conscience as a new year gesture to the Igbo,” the IAD convener said.

“President Tinubu has the constitutional powers to grant us this appeal. All he needs is the political will and patriotic disposition to do the needful,” he added.