The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has rebuked political and traditional leaders in the southeast for failing to mobilise citizens during the recently concluded online voter registration exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to Ohanaeze, the southeast recorded only 1,998 new registrations between August 18 and 25, a stark disparity compared with the nationwide figure of 1.3 million. Data released by INEC showed the southwest leading with 848,359 registrations, followed by the north-central region with 250,218. Anambra State notably registered no new voters during the period.
In a statement jointly signed by Deputy President-General Okechukwu Isiguzoro and National Spokesman Thompson Ohia, Ohanaeze described the southeast figures as “profoundly unacceptable” and linked the poor turnout to what it called political leaders’ negligence and self-serving priorities.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo itself acknowledges its own shortcomings in this matter,” the statement read. “We castigate the southeast governors, whose obsession with narrow political ambitions has overshadowed the overarching political aspirations of the Igbo people. This irresponsible behaviour has turned the southeast into a political caricature before the entire nation.”
The organisation also censured traditional rulers and civil society groups for what it termed a collective failure to sensitise residents. It warned that the lack of civic mobilisation was diminishing the region’s political relevance and influence.
Ohanaeze drew attention to the ongoing in-person voter registration exercise, which started on August 26 and is scheduled to end on August 31, 2026, describing it as a chance for the southeast to reverse the current trend. The group appealed to governors, local government chairmen, town union leaders, market associations, student unions, religious figures, and rights advocates to intensify efforts to register eligible voters.
“This is a clarion call, a rallying cry to every Igbo citizen across Nigeria,” the statement concluded. “Take part in the INEC voter registration exercise across the 774 local government areas of the federation. Register and make your voice count. The Igbo must reclaim their rightful place in the nation’s political landscape.”
