Umenzekwe congratulates Hon Ikwa as he mounts saddle as Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman …Describes him as a detribalized Northerner, a friend of Ndigbo

A Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Honourable (Chief) Modestus Umenzekwe, Onwa Achina, has described Hon. Mohammed Kasim Ikwa as a detribalized Nigerian and a friend of Ndigbo.

Umenzekwe made this known in a congratulatory message to Ikwa via the media as the gentle giant, mounts the saddle as the chairman of the Gwagwalada Area Council on Monday, June 15, 2026.

He said as a politician, Hon. Mohammed Kasim Ikwa, has proved his mettle and he is detribalized, having known him for decades. “I have known him for about a decade now; he is a Northerner, and a politician of note who has proved his mettle in politics, a detribalized Nigerian, a man with large heart, he mixes up with everybody, a member of PDP and recently, he won the chairmanship of Gwagwalada Local Council in Abuja. He tried before and failed and continued, his resilience is second to none.”

Umenzekwe who was ranked among the 100 most prominent personalities in Anambra State, congratulated Ikwa on his behalf and on behalf of family and Ndigbo as a whole.

He said, “Hon Ikwa will be sworn in on Monday, so I want to congratulate him on behalf of myself as a friend. I will also congratulate him on behalf of the entire Igbo Community in FCT, not even Gwagwalada alone, because he extended hands of friendship to Igbo people, and our people accepted him, as led by my own younger brother, Comrade Remigius Ezenwa whom he has taken as a son despite being an Igbo boy. So on behalf of Ndigbo, I am congratulating him.”

“On behalf of my family, I am congratulating him, on behalf of my community, Achina in Aguata Local Government of Anambra State, I am congratulating him.

Umenzekwe further described the character of Honourable Mohammed Kasim Ikwa in most lucid words. “Honourable Kasim is humble, very honest and dependable, he doesn’t segregate, in fact the first time I met him in Abuja, I felt like meeting a brother of the same blood. But one outstanding quality he has, is that he exercises a lot of patience to achieve what he wants to achieve. He is never in a hurry, he can’t get angry, if he tries now and fails he keeps quiet, next time he would try.

“Above all I see him as a very frugal person, the little I associated with him. And above all, he accommodates everybody, no matter your tribe, no matter your religion. He is a Muslim, but we eat and dine and win together. More importantly, he recognizes Ndigbo wherever they are. In most cases he travels to South East with his friends and go back to Abuja. So his love for the Igbo race is unequalled,” he added.

Hon Umenzekwe advised Ikwa to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present Government not minding his political leaning. “In as much as the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike is doing lots of jobs in Abuja, opening up all the hinterlands and all the area councils, the coming of Honourable Kasim will help to boost whatever Wike has done in Gwagwalada area, more especially on roads, and other infrastructure. Gwagwalada needs a lot of road constructions, water, housing, and all that, so he will leverage on what Wike has done to do his best in those areas, more especially now we have local government autonomy.

“But the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President is being pursued by every Nigerian not just that you are in PDP, APC, APGA, every Nigerian is pursuing the Renewed Hope Agenda, because it is a very laudable programme that everybody must key into. And you can see the song which is on everybody’s lips, just came like that on your mandate we shall stand, what is that mandate, it is the mandate of the Renewed Hope Agenda mandate, that is what everybody is pursuing, forget about Party A, Party B, Party C, so the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President is being pursued by everybody,” Umenzekwe disclosed.

He said everybody knows that Mr President is a father to all and should be encouraged through massive support of his policies. “Politics apart, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the jagaban of Africa is a father to all irrespective of tribe, religion, or whatever. So that is exactly what I think he will do. I wish him well in his new office, I believe one good turn deserves another, by the time Hon Ikwa finishes this one, he is going to second term, and keeps on moving until he reaches the pinnacle of his political career.”