Ohanaeze: I Am Not An Igbo Man, Says Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated categorically that he is not an Igbo man.

Wike made this declaration during a media chat in Abuja on Sunday, while addressing questions surrounding the emergence of John Azuta Mbata as the new President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural organization of the Igbo people.

John Azuta Mbata was elected as President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu State on the 10th of January, 2025.

His election followed the death of the former President-General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, and the completion of Iwuanyanwu’s tenure by Fidelis Nze Chukwu.

Responding to discussions linking him to the Igbo ethnic group, Wike said, “I’m an Ikwerre man, not an Igbo man. I don’t have a problem with Igbo people.

“Azuta Mbata has the right to associate with anybody. I’m an unrepentant Ikwerre man, and I’m not a member of Ohanaeze.

“I will never, for anything, deny my identity just to be recognised.”

Azuta-Mbata, a former senator who represented Rivers East from 1999 to 2007, succeeded Fidelis Chukwu, whose tenure had ended.

His election marks a historic moment as he hails from Rivers State in South-south Nigeria.