Igbo leaders reject Abuja restructuring communiqué

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•Propose 10-region structure, resource control, regional police

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By Nnamdi Ojiego

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Barely four months to the 2027 general elections, Igbo leaders, under the umbrella of Igbo Leaders of Thought, ILT, have called for the temporary suspension of elections pending the completion of Nigeria’s restructuring exercise.

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This came as the leaders proposed a 10-region political structure while rejecting the communiqué issued at the Abuja restructuring conference of August 20, 2026. The group, which also demanded the unconditional release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, said the restructuring exercise should be concluded before May 2027, with elections subsequently conducted under the new constitutional arrangement.

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It also insisted on the creation of a united Igbo Region extending to the Atlantic coast, incorporating Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, prospective Anioma, Rivers State and Igbo communities in parts of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Edo and Kogi states.

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The position was contained in a statement titled, ‘Igbo Position on the Restructuring of Nigeria,’ dated September 16, 2026, and published in newspapers.

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It was signed by Emeritus Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazi, President-General of the ILT; Sen. John Azuta-Mbata, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo; Prof. Dozie, Chukwuokolo, Secretary-General, ILT; Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke, adviser Igbo delegation; Dr. Katchi Ononuju, deputy leader Igbo delegation; and Prof. Obasi Igwe, leader of Igbo delegation to the Abuja conference.

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The organisation said restructuring was necessary to address what it described as the country’s foundational problems, arguing that the 1914 amalgamation was imposed without the consent of the constituent nationalities.

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It said: “By 2014 many had come to the understanding that the problem is foundational: that the non-consensual nature of the ‘union’ would continue to make it a violent, shaky and largely unproductive experiment; that with an anachronistic basis the superstructure would sooner or later eventually collapse.”

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The group added that “instead of the exercise in futility that inheres in building from the top, it is more rational to build from below, so as to have a better and stable constitutive union of the people than an imposed arrangement from above benefiting only a few.”

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It said restructuring should be based on ethno-linguistic cultural groups, adding that granting such groups some degree of self-determination would lay the foundation for peaceful coexistence and address the national question.

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Suspension of elections

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On the timing of the exercise, the ILT proposed that restructuring should be concluded before May 2027, with elections temporarily suspended until the process was completed.

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Under its general principles of restructuring, the group stated: “Duration of restructuring exercise should conclude before May 2027, with elections temporarily put on hold by an act of necessity, and resumed on post-restructuring principles.”

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The group said the restructuring process should enable Nigerians to determine the political and constitutional arrangement they desired through regional or nationwide referendums.

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It stated that it supported “the right to self-determination for Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities, regardless of size,” and upheld the principle that regions should be based on “ethno-linguistic civilizations or groupings thereof.”

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Kanu’s release

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The ILT also called for the immediate listing of Kanu’s long-delayed court case for accelerated hearing and his unconditional release.

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It said the release and rehabilitation of political prisoners, particularly Kanu and his colleagues, would help build confidence and trust in discussions on Nigeria’s future.

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“The Igbo see in the unconditional release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners, above all Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his colleagues, as maintained by the Igbo delegation at the recent Abuja Conference, as a gateway to mutual trust and confidence in discussions on the future of Nigeria.”

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It also renewed its support for regional referendums or a nationwide referendum conducted by an independent body to enable Nigerians decide on the country’s future constitutional arrangement.

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Proposed 10-region structure

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The organisation proposed a 10-region structure to replace the existing states, local government areas and geopolitical zones, with five coastal regions in the South and five riparian regions in the North. “Regions based on single-ethnic or consenting multi-ethnic nationalities, to replace States, LGAS, Geopolitical Zones, North, South, East, West, etc paradigms. 5 coastal Regions in the South and 5 riparian Regions in the North are proposed by the Igbo, with relevant maps.”

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On resource control, it stated: “Resource ownership and control reverts to the Regions, which would fund the centre on agreed terms.”

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The group also proposed military and security reorganisation to achieve a balance between the regions, saying regional police should be one element of a broader security arrangement.

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It said: “Military-security reorganization to achieve security balance between Regions, of which Regional police is only one element.

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On the proposed distribution of powers, the ILT said it supported the abolition of the concurrent legislative list, with exclusive and residual powers retained by the federal and regional governments respectively.

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It further proposed a mixed private-public free enterprise economy and a secular political system, with religion separated from the state and political affairs.

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The organisation said all southern regions should have contiguous access to the coast and retain their traditional coastal ports, while northern regions should border either the Niger or Benue rivers.

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It stated that the three proposed Middle Belt regions could merge into one or two, while portions of the South could merge with the Igbo or Yoruba regions to create larger eastern or western regions and reduce the number of regions.

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