A South-East socio-cultural group, Ezi Umuada Igbo, has petitioned the House of Representatives seeking the removal of Mrs. Sophia Mbakwe as Executive Vice President (Business Services) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), insisting she is not from the South-East and therefore cannot occupy the region’s designated management slot.
The petition, addressed to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and laid at Thursday’s plenary by the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, urged the Federal Government and NNPCL to replace Mbakwe with a qualified woman from the region in line with the federal character principle.
According to the group, Mbakwe’s appointment—announced on November 7, 2025—was publicly presented as the South-East representative in the new NNPCL management structure, but she is allegedly not from any of the five states in the region.
In the petition titled “Petition on the Appointment of Mrs. Sophia Mbakwe as South-East Representative in the NNPCL Management Team,” the group said while it appreciated President Bola Tinubu for finding an Igbo woman worthy of appointment, the slot must be filled by someone from the South-East to ensure equity.
The petition read in part:
“We must respectfully but firmly express our concern that the said appointee, Ms. Mbakwe, is not from the South-East region and therefore cannot validly represent the zone in accordance with the Federal Character Principle enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution.”
The group argued that appointments meant to reflect geopolitical representation must be strictly adhered to, adding that the region has a large pool of competent, experienced and patriotic women who can serve.
“We therefore urge the Federal Government, the National Assembly and all relevant authorities to review this appointment and ensure that a qualified daughter of the South-East is considered for the position,” the petition stated.
Following its presentation, the House referred the petition to the Committee on Public Petitions for investigation and further legislative action.
