Tension is rising in Delta State as the Ndokwa Professional Network (NPN) has fired back at Senator Ned Nwoko for claiming that the Ndokwa-Ukwuani people belong to the Igbo ethnic group.
The group, in a fiery statement, dismissed Nwoko’s remarks as “factually inaccurate, historically misleading, and culturally inconsistent,” insisting that the Ndokwa-Ukwuani have their own distinct heritage and identity.
“While we hold Senator Nwoko in high esteem as a respected legislator and advocate of Delta North interests, his recent comments are factually inaccurate, historically misleading, and culturally inconsistent with the established realities of the Ndokwa-Ukwuani people of Delta State,” the group said in a statement signed by its President, Mr. Nigel Ojji; General Secretary, Dr. Great Ijomah; and Board of Trustees Chairman, Dr. Edike Kaine.
The NPN noted that Senator Nwoko, who hails from Idumuje-Ugboko in Aniocha North, is not an indigene of the Ndokwa-Ukwuani area and may not have a deep understanding of their origins or cultural values.
They argued that his years abroad could have shaped his limited perspective on the region’s ethnolinguistic history.
“Ndokwa-Ukwuani are not Igbo…” the group stressed, clarifying that while the people share some cultural overlaps with neighbouring South-East states, proximity does not equal ancestry.
The statement described the Ndokwa-Ukwuani people as proud custodians of unique traditions, governance systems, and ancestral lineages that clearly set them apart from the Igbo.
The NPN warned that reckless generalisations about ethnicity could distort history and identity, urging public figures and researchers to be more sensitive when addressing cultural classifications.
They concluded by reaffirming that the Ndokwa-Ukwuani people stand firm in preserving their roots, and will not allow anyone, no matter how influential, to rewrite their story.
