06/05/2026
“Igbo-phobia is real.
I’m not even joking.
There’s someone who has been asking me out for a while now. I’ve never encouraged it, never taken anything from him, and I’m not interested. That’s just background.
This morning at the office, someone mentioned a discussion on Arise TV about Peter Obi and Kwankwaso. Before I could even respond, this same man jumped into the conversation with so much intensity and said, “God forbid an Igbo man becomes president.”
I was shocked.
He went further to say that it would be over his dead body, that he dreads Igbo people, and that he would rather suffer than be led by an Igbo man.
I asked him why. I genuinely wanted to understand where that level of hatred comes from. His response? “Igbo man? God forbid. I would rather die.”
In that moment, something shifted for me.
We often hear people blame history, especially the civil war, but let’s be honest this kind of deep-rooted hatred didn’t start there, and it hasn’t ended there either.
For the first time in a long time, I felt unsafe. And for the first time in my life, I caught myself wondering what it would mean for Igbo people to truly look inward and prioritize their own safety and future.
This isn’t about politics. This is about humanity.
No one should be hated simply for where they come from.
You would rather a whole country crumbles than give an Igbo man a chance.
And on a personal note if you carry that kind of hatred for Igbo people, there is no space for friendship with me. I take my safety seriously.
We can’t keep pretending this isn’t real.”
𝐶𝑅𝐸𝐷𝐼𝑇: Chioma Onyenze