Pete Edochie, the ace Nigerian actor, has argued that Igbo men are not naturally suited for politics.
In an interview on Afia Culture & Lifestyle, the legendary actor explained that politics often involves “treachery,” a trait Igbo men “struggle to endure.”
According to him, once an Igbo man experiences betrayal, he tends to withdraw completely rather than continue engaging in political maneuvering.
“An Igbo man is not a good politician, and I will tell you why. People who are used to politics—or the treachery that often characterises politics—can overlook a lot of things,” he said.
“But the Igbo man is not constituted to condone treachery more than once. If you hurt an Igbo man once in politics, he will never give you the opportunity to hurt him again.
“He will recoil. That is the average Igbo man. The Igbo man simply is not built to endure political betrayal.
“The moment you show any sign of treachery in dealing with him, he cuts you off. That’s it.”
Edochie rose to fame in the 1980s after playing the lead role in the Nigerian Television Authority’s adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. He hails from the Igbo ethnic group in Anambra State.
In 2003, 78-year-old Edochie was conferred with the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
