Abuja: Senator Ned Nwoko (APC–Delta North) has called on the Anioma people in Delta State to embrace their Igbo identity and unite with their kinsmen across the Niger to build a stronger and more united Nigeria.
Nwoko made the call in Asaba at a conference of the Igbo Unification Movement, held in collaboration with the Ndi na Asu Bia Socio-Cultural Organisation.
The event had the theme, “Igbo Bu Ofu” (Igbos are One).
The advocacy groups stressed that reclaiming a collective Igbo identity was crucial for political strength, cultural revival, and correcting decades of identity distortion.
Commending the organisers, Nwoko said their vision aligned with his long-standing philosophy on Anioma identity and the creation of Anioma State from Delta North.
“There is no argument about our Igbo identity. I understand history very well. I have a degree in history. I know the migration of the Igbo people, and I know clearly that we, the Anioma, are Igbo. The time has come for us to reverse the old narratives that separated us from our brothers across the Niger,” he said.
Nwoko, who had sponsored a motion for the creation of Anioma State in the National Assembly, said the agitation was not about politics or personal ambition, but about correcting historical imbalances.
According to him, his dream is for an Ndokwa son or daughter to emerge as the first Governor of Anioma State when it is created.
“This is not about APC, PDP, or Labour Party; it is about identity, justice, and fairness. I have no interest in being governor, but I want Anioma to stand tall with its own state, with Asaba as its capital,” he said.
He noted that Ohanaeze Ndigbo had always recognised Anioma as one of the Igbo states.
Recalling his childhood during the Nigerian civil war, he stressed that the identity crisis of that era must now give way to truth and reconciliation.
He lauded academics and activists, including Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy of the University of Lagos, whose research on Anioma linguistics and history had shed light on the people’s Igbo roots.
“The Igbo man is Igbo everywhere, whether from Delta, Imo, or Abia. Just like a Chinese man remains Chinese anywhere in the world, Anioma must rise to embrace its identity. That is the only way we can achieve unity and political relevance,” Nwoko said.
He urged the Igbo Unification Movement, Ndi na Asu Bia, and other cultural organisations to intensify their advocacy, education, and mobilisation to ensure the realisation of a united Igbo nation and the creation of Anioma State
