Okowa Slams Senator Nwoko Over Proposal To Align Proposed Anioma State With South East Zone

Former Governor Okowa accuses Senator Ned Nwoko of plotting to shift the proposed Anioma State to the South-East and scrap Asaba as its capital.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 22, 2026, 5:01 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Politics Nigeria

Geopolitical Tension Over State Creation

The debate over the creation of Anioma State has taken a contentious turn as former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa publicly criticized Senator Ned Nwoko’s legislative agenda. During a consultation meeting with stakeholders in Oshimili South on Tuesday, Okowa alleged that the Senator is pursuing a "misguided" plan to shift the proposed state from its current South-South alignment to the South-East geopolitical zone. This move, Okowa claims, would go against the collective will of the people of Delta North.

The Status Of Asaba As Capital

A major point of contention in Okowa’s critique is the future of Asaba. The former governor accused Nwoko of scheming to diminish Asaba’s status as a state capital in his new proposal. Okowa reminded stakeholders of the historical struggle to establish Asaba as the headquarters of Delta State, noting that attempting to "wish away" this status is unwise and disrespectful to those who fought for the city’s current position. He maintained that any new Anioma State must have Asaba as its undisputed headquarters.

Criticism Of Consultation And Grassroots Input

Okowa further faulted the Senator’s advocacy for lacking broad-based consultation. He argued that a project as significant as state creation requires inclusive dialogue and the collective endorsement of the grassroots, rather than the isolated efforts of a single legislator. According to the former governor, Nwoko’s approach has led to "misconceptions and misrepresentations" in the media that do not reflect the unified demand of the nine local government areas comprising the Anioma region.