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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Igbo Presidency Project (IPP) was officially unveiled in Owerri, Imo State, yesterday.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Igbo Heroes and Icons Foundation, seeks to promote, peacefully and constitutionally, the election of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.
Speaking at the launch, National Coordinator of the IPP and Founding President of the Igbo Heroes and Icons Foundation, Chinedu Nsofor, described the project as “a peaceful, pro-Nigeria, and pan-Igbo political advocacy initiative.”
He emphasised that the IPP is rooted in the principle of fairness, noting that every major ethnic group in Nigeria must equitably participate in national leadership.
Nsofor said the Igbo have historically contributed immensely to Nigeria’s unity, independence, economy, and democratic culture. He recalled that since the 1940s, Igbo-led political movements, such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s NCNC, promoted inclusiveness and national cohesion.
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He added that the Igbo have consistently made sacrifices for Nigeria’s unity, citing examples such as Azikiwe’s rejection of regional self-government in 1957, and his decision to forgo the Prime Minister’s position in 1959 to preserve national balance.
The IPP, he said, is a response to decades of marginalisation and structural exclusion of the Igbo people, particularly after the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970). He referenced policies such as the “twenty pounds” restitution and the seizure of Igbo-owned properties as examples of post-war injustices. He also highlighted ongoing challenges, including unequal state creation, systematic denial of key national positions, and underrepresentation in federal appointments.
“The demand for an Igbo president is not a plea for favour, but a legitimate call for justice, equity, and national stability,” Nsofor stated. He stressed that the project aims to correct this imbalance through democratic and constitutional means, ensuring that the Southeast contributes at the highest level of governance.
The IPP’s vision, he explained, is “a united, equitable, democratic Nigeria where all peoples, including the Igbo, share power, dignity, and opportunity at the highest level.”
Its mission is to mobilise Igbo communities locally and internationally, to build consensus and political strategy for achieving this goal.
Nsofor called on Igbo youths, elders, professionals, women leaders, and stakeholders across Nigeria and the diaspora to join hands in advancing this historic cause. “Our Tomorrow Starts Today,” he declared, urging collective action for a Nigeria of equal opportunities.
