Second Republic Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme and iconic constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN), have declined to lead the Igbo delegation to the forthcoming National Conference.

Igbo leaders mounting pressure on the two leaders said the duo, who are intellectual giants and vastly experienced in the act of constitution making would, apart from marshalling the Igbo position, also help hammer out an equitable and workable grundnorm for the country.

Professor Nwabueze, who is chairman of The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerian statesmen, played pivotal roles in the making of the 1979 Constitution. He was also part of the 1989 experiment.

On the other hand, Dr. Ekwueme led the Igbo to the late General Sani Abacha 1994 conference, where his contributions led to the emergence of the six geo-political zones in the country.

Confirming the issue, yesterday, Evangelist Elliot Uko, founder of the Igbo Youths Movement (IYM) and Deputy Secretary of the Nwabueze-led Igbo Leaders of Thought, said Ndigbo would like the two elders to lead them to the confab but unfortunately they have resisted the pressures.

He disclosed that Ekwueme, in particular, will travel out of the country next week for a two-and-a half months trip. The conference, if things go according to plans, will begin early next month.

His words: “Contrary to reports that Dr. Ekwueme will lead Ndigbo to the national conference, there will be no such thing. Ndigbo have tried to convince Dr. Ekwueme to be a delegate to no avail. All the pressures on him in the last couple of weeks are to no avail. He said he has done his best that he will travel out of the country next week and will be away for at least two-and-a half months. So talks about Ekwueme attending the conference are not true. Both Ekwueme and Nwabueze have resisted pressures to lead the Igbo delegation to the confab.”

•Excerpted from a Vanguard report. Photo shows Dr. Ekwueme.