Shettima’s No One More Igbo Than Bianca Ojukwu” Comment Sparks Debate in Diaspora
By Mazi Benjamin Madubugwu
New York, September 27, 2026
Vice President Kashim Shettima’s remark about the Igbo identity of Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has drawn criticism from pro-Biafra voices in the diaspora.
Shettima, who is leading Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, made the comment during a town hall meeting with Nigerians in the Diaspora at the Nigerian House on Wednesday.
Responding to a question on Igbo inclusion and national unity, the Vice President said: “There is nobody in this entire country today that is more Igbo than Bianca Ojukwu.” He cited the presence of Igbo staff around him and the appointment of the former Biafran leader’s widow into the Federal Cabinet as evidence of the administration’s commitment to unity.
The statement has triggered reactions, particularly among Igbo activists.
Commenting on the remark, Mazi Benjamin Madubugwu said the comment amounts to political branding rather than genuine inclusion.
Igbo identity is not a certificate from Aso Rock. It is not conferred by marriage to a historic name or proved by a cabinet seat, Madubugwu said.
He argued that presenting Ambassador Ojukwu as the face of Igbo integration comes at a time when agitation for Biafra remains active globally. He described her appointment under the APC administration as a contradiction to the legacy of her late husband, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Madubugwu further stated that a single appointment does not address longstanding concerns in the South-East, including insecurity, the military operations in the region, and the continued detention of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafrans illegally detained at the Wawa barracks.
A surname is not a people. A minister is not a referendum. If this government truly honours Ojukwu’s name, it can start by releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and confronting insecurity in the South-East,” he said.
The Vice President’s office is yet to respond to the criticism. At the New York meeting, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, who was present alongside other ministers, had earlier urged Nigerians in the diaspora to deploy their expertise and investments toward national development, describing them as strategic partners in Nigeria’s foreign policy.
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