By Emeka Aginam

As Ndigbo from all over the world return home for Christmas holidays, the Igbo Awareness Movement (IAM/IADI), a group of Igbo activists at home and the Diaspora has renewed their call for merger of Igbo political parties.

Ndigbo

The group said it was time for Igbo political leaders to use this opportunity of Igbo re-union to have a fruitful discussion on how best to get All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, and UPP and other political interest groups to a round-table talk and build a strong political front for Ndigbo.

The group who organised a world Igbo summit recently in Enugu as part of its crusade for ‘Igbo think home ideology strongly believes that Ndigbo have what it takes to form a formidable political and economic union capable of putting an end to the lamentable state of Igbo influence in Nigerian politics.

In a statement jointly signed by Chief Larry Iloh, Chairman of IADI Board of trustees, Jeniffer Agbonma Ukaobasi, Chairman Merger Steering Committee, Dr Randie Dikeukwu, Co-chair Merger Steering Committee, Mr Okey Ndiribe , Secretary Merger Steering Committee, Mr Chudi Nwafor and Nze Emmanuel Izuegbunam, Mobilisers Merger steering Committee, the group called on the leaders of APGA, UPP, PPA and other Igbo political interest groups to embrace this new consciousness for Igbo emancipation.

“The reality of Nigerian politics today calls for Ndigbo from different political persuasions to stop the lamentations, divisive and selfish politics from within, come together and birth a new political bloc that will pursue Igbo interests first and foremost before any other interest, so that progress and development will return to Igboland.”

Looking back on the roles played by great Igbo sons such as Zik, Okpara, Ojukwu, Mdadiwe, Ekwueme, Mbakwe, etc, before and after independence in shaping Nigeria, the group says it is a huge disappointment that no current Igbo political leader can boast of any such feats.