Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma has questioned how Igbo representation in Nigeria’s government is determined, saying minority groups within the Igbo-speaking region are being counted as the voice of the whole.
Speaking at an Independence banquet, Uzodinma said Nigeria’s three largest ethnic groups, the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, each include minority communities within them.
“To form Nigeria, there are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. Among the Hausa, we have minorities; among the Igbo, we also have minorities, and likewise among the Yoruba,” he said.
“Only the Igbos”
The governor argued that the Igbo are treated differently from the other two groups when government positions are allocated.
“But in the consideration of government today, it is only the Igbos whose minorities are being represented. Why?” he asked.
Hausa and Yoruba comparison
Uzodinma said the Hausa and Yoruba are represented by members of their own majority groups.
“The Hausa are always represented by a full Hausa, and the Yoruba by a full Yoruba,” he said. “But in the Igbo case, minorities are claiming to be the majority.”
The governor did not name any officeholders or specific appointments in the remarks as provided.
