A leading Igbo socio-cultural group, Igbo Bu Igbo (IBI), has urged people of the southeast to elect only those with the track record of defending and promoting the Igbo cause without fear or favour if they must have a better deal in the socio-political and economic future of Nigeria.

In a statement signed by Dr Law Mefor and Mr Chidi Omeje, Chancellor and Publicity Secretary respectively of the Group, IBI warned that unless the champions of the region across party lines are elected into strategic offices of national importance, their future in Nigeria remains precarious and may even get worse. They, therefore, suggested, “that Igbos would be better off with leaders like Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Victor Umeh, Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah among others in the Senate”.

The statement in full reads: “As 2019 general elections approach, we are worried by the quality of people jostling for different political positions from the southeast region of the country. Our fears are based on the fact that our people have continued to suffer unimaginable marginalisation and humiliation in the current set up of the country and those responsible do not seem ready to ease their grip on the people.

“It is for this reason that we call on our Igbo brothers and sisters worldwide to support only those men and women of proven character and undiluted love for the Igbo cause, men and women who would defend and promote our cause without fear or favour, and insist on getting for our people what is due to us without compromise.

“It is an incontrovertible fact, for example, that Igbos would be better off with leaders like Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Victor Umeh, Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah among others in the Senate. These are people whose commitment to the Igbo agenda is easily verifiable. We have reached a stage in Nigeria where every region sends in their best to political offices especially the parliament. This is because we are about entering an era of hard negotiations and renegotiations for the socio-political and economic structures of the country, and only those with sincere leaders will win it for their people.

“We, therefore, urge all Igbo sons and daughters everywhere to eschew unhelpful sentiments, while voting for their leaders.”