“Why I Claimed to Be Igbo” – Amaechi Reveals Real Ethnic Identity

Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed that his public claim of being an Igbo man was a political statement rather than a reflection of his actual ethnic background. Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s *Prime Time*, Amaechi clarified that he is an Ikwerre man from Rivers State.

He explained that his decision to identify as Igbo was a form of protest against the marginalisation of the Southeast, not a tactic to gain political support from the region. “I’m an Ikwerre man. If you ask an Ikwerre man, ‘Who are you?’ he will tell you, ‘I’m an Ikwerre man.’ Now, can you say an Ikwerre man is an Igbo man? There are divergent views. The majority will say no, but there’s a very tiny minority – which includes me – that may say yes,” he said.

Amaechi continued, “Why did I take that position? It’s political, but not to win the votes of the Igbos. I didn’t like the way Igbos were being treated at a particular point in time. In protest, I began to wear the Tiger head cloth with the red cap. I wore it to ask Nigerians to address their problems. Again, I made it public that I’m an Igbo man in protest.”

His remarks echoed a similar declaration he made in 2015 during a presidential campaign rally in Aba, Abia State, where he addressed All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters. “I am a bona fide Igbo man. My name is Amaechi, but President Jonathan, who says his name is Azikiwe, cannot speak the Igbo language,” he told the crowd.

Amaechi’s latest comments shed light on the symbolic nature of his earlier statements and reaffirm his identity as Ikwerre, not Igbo.