Senator John Azuta-Mbata, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to his Igbo heritage, dismissing recent criticisms as mere misunderstandings.
Speaking in Port Harcourt on Monday during a courtesy visit by the Opobo Elder Statesmen-4-Sim, Azuta-Mbata emphasized his support for Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his respect for the governor’s office.
Addressing his critics, he described their remarks as baseless and lacking in understanding. “I see my responsibility as building bridges. We must connect our people to a much larger platform for development,” he stated.
Azuta-Mbata further defended his ancestry, saying, “Some people say they are from Benin, that their ancestry is Benin. And I say, that’s fine. Let’s go there. We say that we have a relationship with the Igbo. I’m not going to deny my Igbo identity. Anyhow you like, talk from now till tomorrow; I’m not going to deny my ancestry. We are related. Why are you shouting me down? I bet you these things (criticisms) will just naturally die down.”
Stressing the need for political inclusivity, he noted, “We must operate at the highest stage of this Nigerian project. We have to be able to access the powers that be. We must enjoy support from another perspective. Politics is played from Abuja and not here. It’s when they finish from Abuja that they come here. I won’t say everything today. A word, they say, is enough for the wise.”
Earlier, the Chairman of Opobo Elder Statesmen-4-Sim, Edwin Cockeye-Brown, congratulated Azuta-Mbata on his electoral victory and praised his steadfast support for Governor Fubara, particularly during the impeachment attempt.
Rivers State Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Livingstone Wechie, described the visit as historic, affirming Azuta-Mbata’s leadership over more than 100 million Ndigbo worldwide.
“Today, we have the tallest Ikwerre son, both in height and stature, to be given this task to lead more than 100 million Ndigbo all over the world. This is the stone that the builders rejected, now the chief cornerstone,” Wechie said, pledging continued support for Fubara.