The leadership crisis facing the Igala Cultural Development Association (ICDA) has been condemned by the zonal coordinators and 36 states chairmen.
The Northeast Coordinator of ICDA, Engineer Joe Atabo, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues and the state chairmen, disclosed this in a statement in Yola.
He said the crisis was capable of derailing the progress made so far by the socio-cultural association.
The association is factionalized by Alhaji Abubakar Saddiq and Dr. Simeon Oyegwu.
“So much effort in terms of contacts, consultations, mobilisations as well as meetings had been made to bring us where we are today. Any crisis, especially the one at the national level, will take us back to 40, 60, 80 years back. And we don’t want that now or any time,” he said.
“To be fair the current leadership under Alhaji Abubakar Saddiq, ICDA has really moved forward. It has been revived from nothing to state and zonal chapters not just being set up, but flourishing in activities in terms of bringing all sons and daughters of Igala under one umbrella in all the state of the federation, in addition of building a functional Igala Center in Anyingba,” Atabo said.
Ataba said Saddiq was elected at the ICDA national convention four years ago and because of his satisfactory performance he was returned on October 2nd this year at the annual general meeting of ICDA for a second term of another four years.
“All the other organs of leadership of ICDA are in full support of his leadership. Oyegwu should just sheathe his sword and give peace a chance,” he said.
He said apart from Kaduna state, all the states especially those in northern states have functional ICDA in place all working towards the same goal of unity of all Igala people at home and in the diaspora as well as engendering social economic and development in Kogi-east.
