From Resistance To Reconsideration: Igbo Politics & The Anioma Debate
When Onitsha Said No
IN 1991, a proposal linked to Nigeria’s military administration under General Ibrahim Babangida triggered one of the most decisive civic resistances in South-East history. The plan sought to excise Onitsha from Anambra State and merge it with Delta North to form an Anioma State. For the Igbo of Onitsha and surrounding areas, this was not a mere administrative adjustment but a direct challenge to identity, history, and economic autonomy.
Chief Godwin Ubaka Okeke, then a leading figure among Onitsha traders, recalls how the community interpreted the proposal as an erosion of a long-established boundary defined by the River Niger. To them, the river was not symbolic—it was civilisational. Crossing it meant crossing into a different political and cultural orbit.
The Protest That Changed the Plan
The resistance was swift, strategic, and risky. Market unions, traditional leaders, and grassroots networks coordinated a total shutdown of movement at the Niger Bridgehead. Protesters chanted a slogan that would echo through history: “We no go gree.” Despite security intimidation and the house arrest of Chief Okeke, the protest held.
President Babangida, rerouted from Benin to Enugu and then to Onitsha by road, confronted the scale of resistance firsthand. His public assurance that the plan had been dropped ended the standoff. Onitsha remained in Anambra, and Anioma State was shelved.
Fast Forward to 2025: A Shift in Tone
More than three decades later, the same geographical and cultural questions have resurfaced—but with a notable twist. Today, conversations around Anioma State or the annexation of Delta North into the South-East are no longer being resisted outright by all Igbo leaders. Some now openly support the idea, arguing for political balance, equity, and the redress of marginalisation.
This shift raises difficult questions: What changed between 1991 and now? Is this evolution pragmatic or contradictory?
Reconciling Then and Now
In 1991, the resistance was framed around protecting Onitsha from being absorbed into Delta State. Today’s debate, however, is framed as bringing Delta North—largely Igbo-speaking—into the South-East. The difference lies in direction, power balance, and perceived benefit. Yet, the underlying issue remains the same: consent.
The critical challenge now is whether modern proposals genuinely reflect the wishes of Delta North communities or simply repackage old ambitions under new political logic.
History as a Warning, Not a Weapon
The 1991 episode stands as a reminder that identity cannot be legislated without consensus. As Nigeria revisits unresolved questions of structure and belonging, the Onitsha resistance offers a cautionary tale: political convenience must never override cultural self-determination.
