We Want Igbo Communities In 6 States Under United Igbo Region — Igbo Leaders Call For Suspension Of 2027 Elections

Igbo leaders, under the umbrella of Igbo Leaders of Thought, ILT, have demanded that Igbo communities in parts of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Edo and Kogi states be included in a proposed united Igbo Region extending to the Atlantic coast, while calling for the suspension of the 2027 general elections until Nigeria’s restructuring is completed.

The leaders made the demand while rejecting the communique issued at the Abuja restructuring conference of August 20, 2026.

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

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.

According to the group, the united Igbo Region should incorporate 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.

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.

“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,” the group said.

“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.”

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

“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,” the statement read.

The group said it supported “the right to self-determination for Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities, regardless of size,” and that regions should be based on “ethno-linguistic civilizations or groupings thereof,” with Nigerians determining their future through regional or nationwide referendums conducted by an independent body.

The ILT also called for the immediate listing of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu’s long-delayed court case for accelerated hearing and his unconditional release.

“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.”

On structure, the organisation proposed a 10-region arrangement to replace the existing 36 states, local government areas and geopolitical zones — 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.”

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

It also proposed military and security reorganisation to achieve balance between the regions, with regional police as one element of the security arrangement, abolition of the concurrent legislative list, a mixed private-public free enterprise economy and a secular political system with religion separated from the state.

The group added that 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.