Group restates travel ban on Igbo in North ahead of 2019 polls

The Igbo Delegates Assembly (IDA) has restated its resolve to ensure that all Igbo resident in the North do not travel to their home states for the 2019 general elections.IDA, an association binding all Igbo in the 19 northern states, insisted that they must remain in their locations and vote in the North where they reside.

It cautioned those it described as ‘overzealous individuals’ allegedly going around the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja meeting Ndigbo and claiming that they were leaders of Ndigbo in the region, to desist from doing so.

In a statement issued yesterday in Enugu by its President and Secretary, Chimezie Nworgu and Austin Ifediso, the group insisted that such attitude would never work with Ndigbo, as they were not recognised by the group.

“For the past three decades, we have lived in the North and managed our people and their welfare well that proves the present peaceful and harmonious coexistence between us and our host communities in the 19 Northern States and Abuja.”

“We are working out modalities to improve the tempo, especially now that the 2019 general elections are at the corner. We, therefore, state that we do not need overzealous politicians to do anything capable of inciting the host communities against the over 13.3 million Ndigbo resident in the North.

“We have an acceptable means of communication with our people in all the 420 local government areas in the North and do not want any distortion of the established system.

The group encouraged its members in the 19 Northern states and FCT, Abuja to watch out for those it called mischief makers and stay away from anything that could ignite crisis or disaffection between Ndigbo and their host communities.

Again, we appeal and encourage our members to stay wherever they registered and cast their votes there, as true and law-abiding citizens of Nigeria in order not to disenfranchise our over seven million valid registered voters in the North, should they travel outside the area where they were registered.“We shall convene a general meeting of IDA soon to sensitise, review and appraise our plans towards the 2019 general elections,” it added.