Anioma Voice Worldwide, an umbrella body of Anioma people of Delta State of Nigeria, has restated its determination to work towards the emergence of an Anioma as the next governor of the state when the incumbent, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, finishes his term in 2015.

In a statement made available to News Express, the group warned against what it called “a calculated ploy to destabilise the STRONG and TOWERING United Anioma dream of being a responsible part of governance in a state that they are a bonafide part of.”

Anioma Voice Worldwide described as laughable the argument that Anioma has the capital and so cannot and should not produce a governor.

“That will be tantamount to also declaring that in a State like Edo, no Bini man must be governor since they have the capital! But his was a futile attempt at catching the air in his grand design, for never have there been seen or expected in the state in the past, this unalloyed Anioma unity of which some uninformed brother ethnic nations of Delta state are jittery about now and which they have to contend with,” said the group in the statement signed by Akamesike Manuel O’coney, Chief Messenger; Comrade Marcus Enudi, Delta State Chief Messenger; Comrade Victorio EssEm, National Public Relation Messenger; and Comrade Smart Ajaja, International Relations Messenger.

It condemned alleged moves in some quarters to disunite the Anioma, reaffirming that “the Anioma unity is not built on the agenda of 2015 mandate and definitely not negotiable.”

•Photo: Economic and management expert Prof. Pat Utomi is one of the Anioma sons tipped for the Delta State governorship.