Igbo remain Nigeria’s most marginalised group, says Abaribe

The Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District of Abia State, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has described Igbo as the most disenfranchised and marginalised group in Nigeria. 

He lamented the political imbalance in the country, emphasising that allocating only five states to the South-East is unjust. Abaribe disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja during a public presentation of a book, titled: ‘The Power of Nothing: Triumph And Trump Of People’s Voice In Enugu’, written by Ikem Okuhu. The book highlights themes of electoral integrity and community resilience.

Okuhu’s book, which chronicles the 2023 gubernatorial elections in Enugu State, was praised for documenting electoral challenges and grassroots resilience. Abaribe noted that the book offers lessons for reforming Nigeria’s electoral system and addressing its political issues. He was represented at the occasion by the member representing Aba North/South Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Alex Ikwecheghi.

He said: “I would like to say a few things about the Igbo. We, Igbo, believe in progressivism, and the concept of patriotism and nationalism. This is why you will see an Igbo man pack up his bag and leave his village to Bauchi to set up shops, buy a piece of land, build a house, and become an employer of labour. That, for me, is nationalism, patriotism and progressivism. 

“That’s why the Igbo man has that enthusiasm in him to develop, to be progressive, and to remain optimistic. That’s why I said that optimism is a virtue every Nigerian and politician must embrace,. so that Nigeria will always be better.

“A lot of people might not like what I want to say, the Igbo are the most disenfranchised and marginalised. But all we try to do is to encourage them to support one another because it’s highly needed.”

He said that it’s only when the nation identifies its problem and the conundrum of the political system that it can then begin to recognise the clinical solutions of how those problems can be tackled.

He further emphasised the need for citizens to remain engaged in politics, arguing that political decisions directly impact every facet of life, adding: “When you say you’re not interested in politics, you’re doing yourself and your family a great disservice.”

In his remark, Okuhu, also a journalist and public relations expert, explained that his motivation for writing the book was to preserve the history of the struggles and challenges surrounding the 2023 Enugu elections.   He alleged irregularities in the election process, claiming that the Labour Party (LP) was the rightful winner.