It’s Unwise, It's Wrong: Okowa Takes Direct Swipe at Nwoko, Says Anioma State Creation Political Scam

Tensions are rising in Delta North as former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa launches a sharp and unusually direct attack on incumbent Senator Ned Nwoko, igniting what analysts are already calling an early and bitter proxy battle ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking during a consultation tour in Oshimili South on Tuesday, Okowa, who governed Delta State from 2015 to 2023 and previously served in the Senate between 2011 and 2015, did more than declare his intention to return to the National Assembly.

He took aim at what he described as “deceit” and “misguided ambition” surrounding the controversial push for the creation of Anioma State.

Although he avoided mentioning Nwoko by name at first, the target of his criticism quickly became unmistakable.

“There is a lot of misrepresentation on social media,” Okowa said, pushing back against claims that he opposes the creation of Anioma State.

“I don’t believe there is any Anioma son that is opposed to it, not me, as people try to portray.”

But in a dramatic escalation, he accused unnamed actors, widely interpreted as Nwoko and his allies, of attempting to distort the long-standing consensus on what Anioma State should look like.

According to Okowa, the “true Anioma vision” is clear: a state comprising the nine local government areas of Delta North, remaining within the South-South geopolitical zone, and crucially, retaining Asaba as its capital.

That last point triggered his most biting remarks.

In what many observers see as a direct jab at Nwoko’s reported proposals, Okowa warned against any attempt to alter Asaba’s status, describing such moves as reckless and uninformed.

“An Asaba daughter fought for us and today we have Asaba as capital of Delta State,” he said, invoking historical struggles for the city’s prominence.

“Somebody who does not understand how it came suddenly wants to wish away that headquarters. It’s terrible. It’s unwise. Common sense should have told him that what he’s doing is wrong.”

The statement has already sparked backlash among political camps, with critics accusing Okowa of attempting to monopolize the Anioma narrative while positioning himself for a political comeback.

Even more controversial was his dismissal of ongoing state creation efforts as politically deceptive.

“If you know the timetable of the legislature, you know we’re in a quarter to go,” Okowa stated. “Anybody talking about state creation now obviously is trying to deceive his people.”

That comment has been interpreted as a direct attempt to undermine Nwoko’s advocacy efforts at the National Assembly, where discussions around state creation periodically resurface.

However, supporters of the senator argue that Okowa’s remarks reveal deeper political anxieties.

“This is not about Anioma State anymore,” a political analyst in Asaba noted. “This is about control, control of the narrative, control of the region, and ultimately, control of the Senate seat in 2027.”

Okowa, however, framed his position as one of humility and consultation, contrasting himself with what he portrayed as unilateral decision-making by others.

“I don’t know it all,” he said. “When you believe you know it all, you go the wrong path.”

Despite that conciliatory tone, the underlying message was unmistakable: any Anioma State project that deviates from his blueprint lacks legitimacy.

With both camps now entrenched, the Anioma State debate is rapidly evolving from a regional development issue into a full-blown political confrontation, one that could redefine power dynamics in Delta North long before voters head to the polls in 2027.

Whether this clash will clarify the path toward state creation or derail it entirely remains uncertain. But one thing is already clear: the battle for Anioma has begun, and it is far more personal, and political, than many had anticipated.