Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT), on Wednesday warned against actions that could undermine the 2027 general elections,saying that Nigerians would not ready to accept flawed election results.

In a communiqué on the state of the nation after their meeting, jointly signed by its President, Prof. Elo Amucheazi and Secretary, Prof. Dozie Chukwuokolo, they condemned anti-democratic tendencies being orchestrated to weaken the opposition, ahead of the 2027 general election.

They also questioned the motive behind the adoption of the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket by the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) in a country where “Christians are more populous than Muslims”

The Igbo leaders comprising traditional rulers, religious leaders and technocrats and academia demanded the intervention of the United States of America (USA) to stem the rising spate of genocide and ensure a free, fair and credible election in Nigeria next year.

The statement added: “ILT observed certain anti-democratic tendencies being orchestrated by the presidency, like the stifling of the opposition and inflammatory comments such as ‘there is no vacancy in Aso Rock’ and the one the president by himself told the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) that ‘all is fair in politics.

“Some of these comments have been interpreted to mean that the president cannot be removed from office by fair ballots. We join all patriotic people of the world to demand that fair, free and credible elections must be conducted.

“ILT joins the Patriots in reminding the President that World powers are on the watch over the 2027 elections and demand that election results must be transmitted appropriately and in real time. Nigerians are not ready to accept flawed election results.”

Revisiting the travails of the leader of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, ILT again demanded for his release, describing his continued incarceration as a depiction of the hatred and treatment of Igboman in Nigeria.

“ILT is still amazingly shocked that this young man who is also a British citizen was extraordinarily renditioned from Kenya in ignoble circumstance not befitting of a Government. That the Nigerian government has hounded him to death and life sentence is depictive of the nature of hatred and treatment of the Igboman in Nigeria.

“Sunday Igboho is now licensed by the Tinubu led administration to carry arms and engaged by the government to fight terrorists in Yoruba land but Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who never bore arms should be killed. We reject the transfer of Kanu to the seat of Caliphate. It is a show of insensitivity to the conscience of Ndi Igbo.

“We recall that when Chief Awolowo was sent to a prison in the North East during his treason trial, Dr. Azikiwe as the Governor-General, cancelled that and sent him to Calabar prison, where Dr. M.I Okpara took good care of him, provided his wife with cars, monthly salary and allowances as he did to the Premier of Western Region, D. S. Adegbenro. That should have been a lesson to Awolowo”, it held

ILT insisted that Nnamdi Kanu is a prisoner of conscience, urging President Tinubu to order his release immediately, without further delay.

Similarly, the eaders decried the isolation and marginalisation of Ndi Igbo in Nigeria, stressing that there has been a deliberate state policy of under development of the Igbo man in Nigeria since the Colonial to the war era, and the post war period.

They cited cases of Igbo marginalisation, such as the absence of standard gauge rail and good roads in Eastern Nigeria, and concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, while the federal government would be budgeting heavy money for other airports.

The assembly lamented the stifling of seaports in the Eastern region and the widespread confiscation of Igbo properties in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of Nigeria.

ILT noted with dismay cases of exclusion of Igbos in federal appointments, pointing out that out of 34 key federal appointments, Igbos did not get even one.

The group cited for instance, the compulsory retirement of an Igbo Deputy Inspector-General of Police to appoint his junior, an Assistant Inspector-General, to head the police as Inspector-General, following the removal of former IG, Kayode Egbetokun.

“But when it came to the appointment of new Head of Service of the Federation, the President insisted that it must be done in order of seniority to benefit his fellow Yoruba man. What else is double standard?

ILT lamented that Igbo people do not have oil wells whereas the wells are in their land, wondering why there are such deliberate pinning down of Ndi Igbo in Nigeria.

The assembly advocated regional autonomy as the way to go for even development of Nigeria, suggesting the structuring of the country into full regional autonomies on ethno-linguistic divides to allow people develop on their capacious levels.

“It is on record that the Michigan State University stated that Eastern Nigeria was the fastest developing economy in the world between 1951-1967 above Singapore and Malaysia. We can do more if we are regionalised. We must occasionally ask whether in Nigeria, we are working for national integration or disintegration of the country. As ndi Igbo we stand for national integration,” the assembly stated.