Chief Emmanuel Iwanyanwu, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, highlighted the disparity in both the number of states and ministers representing the Southeast geo-political zone in Nigeria compared to other zones. Noting that the Southeast lags behind with only five states, the lowest among the zones, he drew attention to the fact that other zones boast between six and seven states each.
This discrepancy according to Iwuanyanwu, is even more pronounced in ministerial appointments, as the Southeast only has five ministers representing them, falling short of the expected eight under the Federal Character principle. In contrast, some zones enjoy up to 10 ministerial positions, exposing a clear imbalance that raises concerns about the potential marginalization of the Southeast in federal appointments and representation.
In an interview with The Sun, Iwuanyanwu said, "Southeast is the only geo-political zone in Nigeria that has only five states whereas other zones have between six and seven states. Forty-eight ministers were appointed by Mr President. By the law of Federal Character, Southeast should have eight ministers, but we have only five ministers while some other zones have up to 10."