From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
LEADER of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Mr. Uchenna Madu said the group has uncovered a deliberate plot to politically reduce the number of South-East senators from 15 to 13.
Madu, in a statement stated that one year after 2015 general election that produced complete number of senators from each geopolitical zone, two senatorial seats of Anambra central zone and Okigwe zone remained vacant in the upper legislative chamber.
He noted that the South-East zone has the least number of senatorial representatives with only 15.
Other geo-political zones have 18 senatorial representatives while the North-East zone also has 18, Madu said.
According to him, “this is another gross political manipulation and subjection against Ndigbo.
“Why is it that INEC has remained adamant and unshaken towards conducting elections into these remaining two Igbo senatorial seats?
“What happened to the money for constituency projects and infrastructural development of these two South-East zones?
“Today, major Igbo leaders have kept mum, even the people of these senatorial districts are keeping quiet.
“Our involvement and reaction should not be seen as being political but as major player in Igbo affairs.
“MASSOB, as a major stakeholder in Igbo affairs, demand that INEC release dates and conduct senatorial elections before July 15, 2016 to fill in the vacant seats for the South East zone,” he stated.
“MASSOB also insists on its earlier demand for the release of its detained comrades by government which include Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Benjamin Onwuka, David Nwawuisi, Madubugwu, Innocent Orji, Sabastine Amadi and 21 others detained at Awka/ Onitsha Prison.
“Their continued detention will bring devastating damage to the image of Nigeria,” Madu stated.