General News
Delta North Group rejects Okowa’s senate bid, accuses him of double speak on Anioma State
Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka Abuja
A political pressure group in Delta North Senatorial District has rejected former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s move to return to the Senate in 2027, citing his “double speak” on the creation of Anioma State and the ethnic identity of Anioma people.
In a communique signed by its President, Dr. Kester Koyegwachie, and Secretary General, High Chief Enuosa Benjamin, the group said it had mobilized “foot soldiers” across the nine local government areas of Delta North to enforce its resolutions. It declared that Okowa must provide “clear, honest and accountable answers” to questions about his stewardship and current ambitions.
The group accused Okowa of inconsistency, recalling that he declared himself Igbo during the 2023 elections as PDP vice presidential candidate, only to later work against aligning a proposed Anioma State with the South East geopolitical zone. It questioned why he would consult people of Aniocha South and Aniocha North, whom it described as “of the Ibo extraction,” if he now opposes that alignment.
DNPR&AG challenged Okowa’s record during his combined 12 years as senator and governor, asking what concrete steps he took toward realizing Anioma State. It demanded to know the bills he sponsored, the alliances he built, and the sacrifices he made for the Anioma cause during his four years in the Senate, insisting that “leadership is not measured by titles but by impact.”
“History is not kind to silence and even less to neglect,” the communique stated. It asked what Okowa’s position would be if Anioma State became feasible only through alignment with the South East, and whether he would “stand with the people or retreat again into ambiguity.”
The group further alleged that Okowa’s body language shows desperation to return to the Senate “at all costs,” pointing to youth protests across the district against his 2027 bid. It queried his legacy in Aniocha North and Aniocha South, asking him to show “roads constructed, lives transformed, or institutions that empowered youth” during his tenure.
DNPR&AG also faulted Okowa for allegedly sidelining legacy APC members in his consultations, claiming he is dealing only with recent PDP defectors to the APC. It warned that such moves could trigger backlash for the APC and urged youths to implement the group’s decisions without delay.
The emergency meeting drew delegates from all nine LGAs of Delta North. The group insisted Okowa must “clear his name” over the weighty allegations before seeking to represent the district again.
Meanwhile, in a separate engagement on Tuesday, Okowa criticized Senator Ned Nwoko’s push for Anioma State, accusing him of pursuing an agenda that could undermine the region’s interests. Addressing APC stakeholders in Oshimili South, Okowa alleged Nwoko wants to align Anioma with the South East and diminish Asaba’s status as state capital, which he called “misguided and unacceptable.”
Okowa maintained that Anioma people want a separate state within the South-South, comprising nine LGAs with Asaba as headquarters. He said an “Asaba daughter” fought for the city’s status as Delta capital and it would be “unwise” to wish it away. He faulted Nwoko’s approach as lacking broad consultation and grassroots input, stressing that state creation must reflect the collective will and constitutional process.