Founder of the Igbo Agenda Dialogue (IAD), Chekwas Okorie, has revisited a controversial statement once made by former President Muhammadu Buhari, where he described the Igbo as “a dot in a circle.”
In an interview with Independent Newspaper on Sunday, September 7, 2025, Okorie said Buhari’s words were not only insulting but also misleading. He explained that the comment reflected a long-standing attempt by successive governments, including military regimes, to redraw Nigeria’s map in ways that created the false impression that the South-East was landlocked and weak.
Okorie, however, insisted that history and geography tell a very different story.
“Buhari once mocked the Igbo as a dot, but we own the sea passage in Nigeria. No ethnic group has more access to the sea than us. We have our people in Rivers already entering the sea,” he declared.
The IAD founder stressed that the Igbo are not confined to the South-East alone. He pointed out that Igbo communities can be found across several states, including Rivers, Delta, Kogi, Benue, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom. According to him, these populations are reclaiming their identity and reinforcing the fact that the Igbo remain a significant force within Nigeria’s political and economic space.
Okorie maintained that the era of seeing the Igbo as marginalized or insignificant is gradually fading, as evidence of their spread and influence continues to challenge that perception.
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