Kohima: The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has made a formal appeal to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to rejoin the party and reclaim its leadership, describing him as the party’s “original political home.”
The appeal was adopted through a resolution of the party’s Central Executive Council (CEC) on Saturday.
Addressing the media, NPF secretary general Achumbemo Kikon said the resolution reiterated an earlier call made in February for former members to return in order to strengthen the organisation.
Highlighting Rio’s long association with the party, Kikon recalled his entry into politics in the early 1970s under the then United Democratic Front (UDF), and his rise as Kohima Youth Wing president in 1974.
Rio left the NPF in 2017 to form the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), which now leads the government with 32 MLAs, while NPF is reduced to two.
Despite the disparity in numbers, Kikon argued that the need of the hour was unity among regional forces.
“It is not about numbers. Regional parties must come together to advance the cause of the Naga people,” he said, adding that reconciliation and solidarity were central to the party’s agenda.
The CEC also authorised NPF president Apong Pongener to set up a Central Election Board should leadership changes materialise.
Pongener went a step further, publicly offering to step down if Rio agrees to take charge of the party.
“If Neiphiu Rio expresses willingness to return, I will step aside for him to lead and strengthen the regional political movement,” he said.
Senior leader and five-time MLA Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu echoed the appeal but urged party workers to act with patience and restraint.
ALSO READ: Assam down town University marks 16th Foundation Day with cultural fest, awards ceremony
“If Rio doesn’t agree, it won’t happen. But the people’s desire is for a single, strong regional party. In a small state like Nagaland, two regional parties cannot sustainably exist,” he noted.
The CEC also extended its invitation to sitting and former legislators, including two MPs and 60 MLAs, to regroup under the NPF banner.
Leaders from the party’s units in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, including Happa Taidong and Awangbow Newmai, were also present at the meeting.
With optimism about what they called a “miracle,” party leaders expressed hope that Rio’s return could reunify the regional political front and bolster the ongoing peace process in Nagaland.
