The senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko, has reaffirmed that the Anioma people of Delta State are Igbo, dismissing what he described as decades of “misconception” about their identity.
Speaking to newsmen on Friday in Calabar, the lawmaker said the quest for Anioma State was rooted in a historical struggle for self-determination and inclusion in the Igbo nation.
He said, “Let me state without equivocation that we are Igbos. Anioma people are Igbos. The quest for Anioma State is rooted in a historical struggle for self-determination and inclusion in the Igbo nation. That was the word: Igbo state. And this was before 1963. I was born in 1960.”
Tracing the history of the agitation, Nwoko recalled that the demand for Anioma recognition predates Nigeria’s independence, stressing that they are originally of Igbo heritage.
“Anioma people are made up of nine local government areas in Delta State. We are what they call Delta North. And there has been some misconception as to who we are, whether we are Igbos or not.
“I can take you back to 1949, when my grandfather, who was the king of my place, along with the other kings, the king of Aboh and the king of Asaba, pushed and advocated for our people to join the Igbo Union,” he stated.
He added that the movement continued with prominent Anioma leaders such as the late Chief Dennis Osadebe, who also advocated the creation of a separate Igbo state.
According to him, the push for Anioma State represents a long-drawn historical quest for independence, self-determination and inclusion as an Igbo nation, adding that there is just one Igbo nation.
He referenced the political events before 1967 as further proof of Anioma’s place within the broader Igbo identity, reaffirming Anioma’s Igbo heritage and identity.
Nwoko also declared that there would be “no retreat, no surrender” in his political journey and vowed to contest the Senate seat in the 2027 election.
