Former Governor of Delta State and 2023 Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has stirred renewed debate over Anioma’s ethnic identity with his unequivocal declaration that he is an Igbo man.
Speaking during a 2022 interview on Arise Television ahead of the general elections, Okowa, who hails from Owa-Alero in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State, stated that his heritage firmly situates him within the Igbo fold.
“For me, yes, I’m from Delta State but I’m definitely an Ibo man, there’s no doubt about that,” he said.
“I’m from Delta State in the South-South, but if you are looking at Ibos across the country, I’m an Ibo man, I can’t be counted out and that is the true situation.
Being from the South-South, I’m also an Ibo man, and to that extent, I fit into all the divides because my brothers in the South East, I’m part of them and also part of the South-South.”
Okowa’s admission runs counter to the longstanding position of some Anioma elites who reject the idea of Anioma being classified as part of the South East or as the proposed sixth Igbo state.
These individuals have, over the years, published articles and campaigned vigorously against Anioma’s inclusion in the Igbo nation, insisting on a distinct cultural identity.
The Ika people, to which Okowa belongs, are widely acknowledged as a subgroup of the larger Igbo ethnic nationality.
This historical and cultural link, many argue, strengthens the case for Anioma’s affinity with the Igbo.
Okowa’s position has, however, amplified divisions within Anioma, exposing the fault lines between those who embrace their Igbo roots and those who view Anioma identity as separate.
His remarks underscore the broader political and cultural debate in Nigeria over ethnicity, state creation, and representation, an issue that goes beyond administrative boundaries to questions of belonging and identity.
