‘I’m Igbo’ Declaration by Okowa Rolls Back as Debate Over Anioma’s Identity Spreads

Former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s declaration that he has affinity with Igbo race, has sparked fresh debate as controversy has continued to trailed claims by some Anioma people who rejected any ethnic affinity with the South East.

Recall that in a 2022 interview on Arise Television during the presidential campaigns, Okowa—then the vice-presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)—stated emphatically: “For me, yes, I’m from Delta State but I’m definitely an Igbo man, there’s no doubt about that.”

The former Delta State governor, who hails from Owa Alero in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, stressed that his roots and heritage firmly place him within the Igbo fold.

“Being from the South-South, I’m also an Igbo 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,” he was quoted to had said.

As controversy trails claims by some Aniomas, pundits said that Okowa’s remarks stand in sharp contrast to positions taken by some Anioma voices who have consistently rejected being classified as Igbo, especially in debates over creating Anioma State as the sixth state of the South East.

It was learnt that individuals have written articles and campaigned against Anioma’s inclusion in the Igbo race.

The development highlights deeper questions of identity, political representation, and belonging.

While some Anioma groups insist on cultural distinctiveness, Okowa’s open declaration strengthens the argument that Anioma shares deep historical and cultural ties with the Igbo.