Elder statesman, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, has weighed in on the ongoing debate regarding the Igbo identity of the Ikwerre people, following the emergence of an Ikwerre indigene as President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Some Ikwerre natives in Rivers State have distanced themselves from being identified as Igbo, a stance previously echoed by former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who consistently maintained that he is not Igbo. However, the newly elected President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, also from Ikwerre, recently stated that he would not deny his Igbo heritage for political reasons.
Speaking in an interview, Obidigbo asserted that before the Biafra civil war, the Igbos had a significant presence in Port Harcourt and that the Ikwerre people never disassociated themselves from their Igbo roots.
“The Ikwerre were part of the Igbo and never, for one day, denied their Igboness,” Obidigbo said. “Every Ikwerre man knew he was Igbo. Even in Opobo, where the current governor, Sim Fubara, hails from, they have always identified as Igbo. They speak Igbo, they are Igbo.
Reacting to Wike’s stance, Obidigbo said: “If Wike says he is not Igbo, then he can go wherever he wants. But if Mbata acknowledges his Igbo identity and the Ohanaeze presidency is being rotated, it is Rivers State’s turn to produce the leader.
He further criticized those rejecting their Igbo heritage, suggesting that fear and personal interests influence their stance.
“Those who deny being Igbo are afraid of something; they are cowards,” he stated. “They fear that identifying as Igbo might cost them certain privileges. But that is not a valid reason to deny your own people.”
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