A faction of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, appealed to no fewer than 250 prominent Igbo leaders living abroad to return home in 2026, warning that their prolonged absence is deepening the political, economic, and cultural challenges facing the South-East.
 
In a statement in Abakaliki, the Deputy President General of the Ohanaeze faction, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said that the call was driven by an unwavering commitment to the patrimony of the Igbo people and the urgent need to halt what it described as the steady erosion of Igbo values, culture, and leadership structures.
 
He urged elder statesmen and retired leaders, particularly those aged  65 to 70 or older, to return to Igboland and contribute directly to rebuilding the region.
 
Among those mentioned were Emeka Anyaoku, Vice Admiral Ebitu Ukiwe, Admiral Allison Madueke, General Ike Nwachukwu, Achike Udenwa, John Nnia Nwodo, and other distinguished Igbo personalities in the diaspora.
 
According to group, the continued residence of influential Igbo leaders outside the country has created a leadership vacuum that has worsened insecurity in the region.