Igbo apex group Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Sunday blamed Southeast stakeholders, mostly five Governors, serving Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, past and current political leaders, and others, for the low registration of the zone in the just concluded INEC Online Voters Registration, noting that the outcome has placed the zone as unserious when it matters.
In a statement in Abakaliki, the Deputy National President of the Ohanaeze faction, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that Ohanaeze is not happy about the development, saying that the mere 1,998 from the Southeast is unacceptable, noting that the development has exposed our non-interest in the country’s politics.
“Astonishingly, the Southwest region registered a staggering 848,359 new voters, followed by the North-Central region with 250,218. These represent a profound and unacceptable underperformance from the Southeast,” Isiguzoro noted.
According to him, the figures were stark and deeply concerning that during the one-week online registration exercise, from August 18th to August 25th, 2025, the entire Southeast region recorded a profoundly unacceptable 1,998 new voter registrations, noting that this paltry sum stands in stark contrast to the 1.3 million Nigerians registered nationwide.
He called upon Ndigbo to seize control of their destiny in the ongoing INEC In-Person Voters Registration Exercise, which commenced on August 26th, 2025, and will continue for one year, until August 31st, 2026, and register, saying that it presents an opportunity for redemption.
He noted that during this period, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will relentlessly exert pressure on the Southeast Governors, the 95 Local Government Area Chairmen under ALGON, Traditional Rulers, Religious Organisations, Civil Rights Organisations, Presidents of Igbo Town Unions, Igbo Market Associations, Student Groups, and all relevant stakeholders to mobilise every eligible individual to register.
The statement read: “The Apex Igbo Sociocultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, issues this formal declaration with a profound sense of responsibility and a heavy heart that we acknowledge, unequivocally, the collective failure of Ndigbo to adequately participate in the recently concluded Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Online Voters Registration Exercise.
“Following a thorough internal investigation into the dismal performance of the Southeast region, we find ourselves compelled to deliver this unvarnished truth to the Igbo people.
“The figures are stark and deeply concerning that during the one-week online registration exercise, from August 18th to August 25th, 2025, the entire Southeast region recorded a profoundly unacceptable 1,998 new voter registrations.
“This paltry sum stands in stark contrast to the 1.3 million Nigerians registered nationwide. Astonishingly, the Southwest region registered a staggering 848,359 new voters, followed by the North-Central region with 250,218, and these represent a profound and unacceptable underperformance for the Southeast.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo, driven by an unwavering commitment to the welfare and future of Ndigbo, issues this imperative that every eligible Igbo voter must, without hesitation, register during the ongoing INEC In-Person Voters Registration Exercise.
“The absence of participation in Anambra State, where not a single individual registered, is particularly egregious and demands immediate condemnation, and we hold all political leaders in Anambra State accountable, including Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Former Governor Peter Obi, for their dereliction of duty.
“The blame, however, extends far beyond Anambra. We castigate the Southeast Governors, whose focus on narrow political agendas has demonstrably overshadowed the paramount political interests of the Igbo people.
“We cannot afford to be excluded from this critical electoral process, and failure to register will have dire consequences. The Southeast will continue to suffer exclusion from the centre, and the cries of ‘marginalisation,’ though self-inflicted in this instance, will amplify the suffering of the Igbo people.
“This is a clarion call, a rallying cry, to all Igbo across Nigeria. Participate in the INEC Voters Registration Exercise across the 774 Local Government Areas of the Federation. Register, and make your voice heard. Let the Igbo people reclaim their rightful place in the Nigerian political landscape.”
