Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has stirred a fresh controversy after revealing that his past claims of Igbo heritage were politically motivated rather than a reflection of his true ethnicity.
The statement was made during an interview with Arise TV Prime Time Show, where he disclosed his reasons for previously identifying as Igbo.
The former governor was asked by the host which ethnic group he belongs to, given that he has changed his ethnic identity multiple times. He responded that he is an Ikwerre native from Rivers State.
“If you ask an Ikwerre man who are you, he will say, I am Ikwere man. What you can say, is an Ikwere man an Ibo man? There are those with divergent views. Majority will say no. In all honesty, majority will say no. There is a very tiny minority who will say yes, which includes me.
“And why did I take that position? It’s political. I am an Ikwerre man. My claiming Igbo was just political, not because I wanted their votes. I decided to say I am Igbo, started wearing Ishiagu and red cap in protest of the way the Igbos were being treated”, he said.
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