Igbo groups meet over 2023 elections in Umuahia December 28

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

The Igbo Think Tank, Nzuko Ndigbo, and other Igbo groups in the diaspora will converge on Umuahia on December 28, for the 4th edition of an International Christmas Retreat, where decision on 2023 election will be taken.

Also expected at the event are Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G5, clergy, traditional rulers, captains of industry, student leaders, youth and women leaders.

Organisers of the retreat said during the event, a decision concerning the Igbo on the 2023 general polls would be taken and communique issued.

Disclosing these, while addressing newsmen in Umuahia, the Trustee of Igbo Think Tank, Maduike Ezeibe and Chairman, Local Organising, Chuks Ibegbu; and leader, Nzuko Ndigbo respectively, said: “The Igbo should be given the 1999 settlement which calmed the tension in the country.”

Ezeibe, who is renowned for discovering drugs for treatment of HIV, said the arrangements that produced former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, which calmed the June 12 imbroglio, should be applied in 2023 for an Igbo man to become the president.

Ezeibe pointed out that if the 1999 is applied, the tensions in the country, especially the insecurity challenges in the South East may be a thing of the past.

“We know what happened in 1999. Our brother, Ekwueme formed the PDP, but Obasanjo was brought out from the prison and made the president under an arrangement to calm the tension in the West.”

He pointed out that the Igbo have sacrificed a lot for the country by living and developing every place they find themselves, noting that it was time for the nation to reciprocate their commitment.

The event which will hold at Michael Okpara auditorium, Umuahia, would also be used by the Igbo to decide on whom to support in 2023 general election.

The theme for the International Christmas Retreat is “Ndigbo, yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” while the sub-theme would be “Ndigbo in Geo Politics of Nigeria, the case of 2023,”

The organisers noted that respected Igbo scholars like Elochukwu Amucheazi, Maduike Ezeibe, Obasi Igwe and Chris Osuagwu would deliver lectures on the way forward for the Igbo, at the event.