A socio-cultural group, Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo Nigeria (NONIN), has named Senators Osita Ngwu, Enyinnaya Abaribe, and Ned Nwoko as the Best Igbo Senators of the Year 2025.
The announcement was made on Friday in Enugu by Dr. Chiedozie Ogbonnia, the Deputy National Leader of the organization, in a statement made available to The Whistler.
NONIN, led by Professor Ike Oluka, is composed of representatives of Ozo title holders across Igboland. The recognition forms part of activities marking the 2025 Iriji Nzuko Ozo Ndigbo Nigeria Festival.
According to Ogbonnia, a committee chaired by Ozo Ferdinand Anikwe, a former Director-General of the Centre for Black Arts and African Civilisation (CBAAC), assessed the senators’ performances using ten indicators, including grassroots connection, humility in power, constituency projects, Igbo advocacy, parliamentary eloquence, and social engagement.
He noted that Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West, distinguished himself through his strong advocacy for the South-East region and his community development efforts. In May, Ngwu had criticized what he described as the federal government’s unfair treatment of the South-East in infrastructure and resource allocation.
Ogbonnia highlighted some of Ngwu’s initiatives, including the Enugu West Academy, which offers tutorials for school leavers, as well as football tournaments, academic competitions, scholarships, road rehabilitation, solar-powered streetlights, and vocational training centres for youths.
The group also praised Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of Abia South, describing him as “one of the most courageous and consistent advocates for Igbo interests.” NONIN noted that Abaribe has repeatedly urged President Bola Tinubu to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, arguing that such a move could help end insecurity in the South-East.
For Senator Ned Nwoko of Delta North, NONIN commended his commitment to reviving the legacy of Chief Denis Osadebey, the former Premier of the Mid-Western Region, who championed Igbo unity through the Igbo Federal Union (IFU) in the 1930s and 1940s.
The group said Nwoko’s efforts reflect a renewed drive to recover the Igbo nation’s cultural identity and unity, particularly for the Anioma people of Delta State, an acronym derived from Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika, and Oshimili.
It added that Nwoko had shown “courage and steadfastness” in addressing long-standing issues of identity and belonging among Igbos in Nigeria’s South-South region.