For Anita Alaire Afoke Asuoha aka Real Warri Pikin, comedy has often been a way to connect with people, tell her story and make sense of difficult experiences. But on Saturday, August 8, 2026, the comedian had to make a difficult announcement of a different kind.
In an emotional video, Real Warri Pikin announced that her comedy show scheduled for September would no longer hold.
“I don cancel am,” she said.
She explained that the decision was not made lightly and apologised to her fans in Delta State. But beyond the cancelled show was a much deeper issue she had apparently carried for years.
According to the comedian, she has been dealing with bullying and oppression in Delta State for the past eight years. She said the latest controversy surrounding the name of her show had become the point where she could no longer continue.
Her story was not simply about a comedy show. It was about identity, tribal divisions, the meaning of belonging and the difficulty of trying to represent a place where, in her words, being an entertainer has become “very exhausting.”
The Show That Was Cancelled
The show was scheduled for September 20, 2026, at Monarchy Event Center in Efun Uye, Delta State.
Real Warri Pikin said the trouble started over the name of the event. According to her, some people in Uye objected to the show being promoted as “Real Warri Pikin Live in Warri.” They reportedly insisted that it should instead be called “Real Warri Pikin Live in Effurun”, arguing that Warri belongs to the Itsekiri people.
She said she was asked to remove the existing billboards, social media posts, radio jingles and roll-up banners promoting the event. She also said a petition was written against the show and that she was told it would not be allowed to happen.
According to her account, the warning went further: people allegedly said they would come on the day of the event and disrupt it. At the same time, she said another group was unhappy about the use of “Warri” in her name altogether.
That left her facing a difficult choice. Rather than allow the disagreement to escalate around a show that was supposed to entertain people, she decided to cancel it.
“I do not want to make mistakes anymore,” she said towards the end of her video.
8 Years Of Bullying And Oppression in Delta State
The cancellation opened the door to something much bigger. Real Warri Pikin said the situation had forced her to speak about what she described as eight years of bullying and oppression in Delta State.
She also expressed frustration with the divisions between the Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri communities. She stressed that she was not against people fighting for their rights. Her concern, she said, was the way those differences were sometimes expressed.
“I’m not saying don’t fight for what is right,” she said. “I’m not saying don’t fight for your rights. But does it always have to be violence? Does it have to be oppression?”
For her, the problem had become personal. She said she had repeatedly found herself caught in arguments over which ethnic group she should identify with, which parts of Delta State she could promote and what she was allowed to call herself. It was a situation she said had left her tired.
When “Warri” Became A Problem
One of the central issues in her story is the name that has become part of her public identity: Real Warri Pikin.
She explained that growing up, everywhere around her was simply referred to as Warri. But she acknowledged that things have changed, with people reclaiming their lands and communities becoming more conscious of their identities.
Her frustration was not necessarily with those changes. Instead, she questioned why her own mistakes or lack of knowledge should make her a target.
“Do you have to bring me down because I made a mistake?” she asked. She even joked about having to study Delta State geography so she can understand what each place should now be called.
The comedienne shared how family had visited Delta State for a vacation two years earlier. They went to Bolowe Resort, which she described as being owned by an Ijaw man, and also visited a zoo on the Itsekiri side. She said she promoted the resort because her family had enjoyed their experience there. But that too attracted criticism.
People, according to her, questioned why she was promoting an Ijaw-owned resort and then visiting a place on the Itsekiri side.
Supporting Itsekiri-Related Campaign Brought Backlash
Real Warri Pikin also recalled another incident involving Olori’s campaign. She said that at one point, Olori was running a campaign involving fashion designers, and she was among those who helped create awareness and encouraged people to register.
Instead of being received simply as a professional opportunity, she said the move attracted another round of criticism.
She was questioned over why an Ijaw woman was promoting something associated with the Olu of Warri and the Itsekiri community.
Again, she found herself having to explain why she could not simply support something she believed in without it becoming a question of ethnic loyalty.
The pattern, she suggested, had become exhausting. Every action appeared to be interpreted through the question of which group she belonged to.
The Wedding She Lost Because Of Her Identity
Another example she shared involved a wedding she was supposed to MC in Delta State. According to Real Warri Pikin, the groom initially reached out to her to handle the wedding.
A few weeks before the ceremony, however, he told her they would no longer be moving forward with her as the MC. She asked why. The explanation, according to her, involved some Ijaw men who wanted to support the wedding.
She said they objected to her being the MC because they saw her as an Ijaw woman who was also involved in “Urhobo things.” As a result, she did not MC the wedding.
For Real Warri Pikin, it was another example of how she felt trapped between identities. She could not simply be an entertainer from Delta State. Instead, she said, people repeatedly wanted to decide which part of Delta State she should represent.
“Real Warri Pikin brand Bigger Than Where I was born”
Despite the disappointment, her written statement accompanying the video carried a different tone. She described the cancellation as deeply disappointing and blamed the situation on what she called the unfortunate divisions currently at play.
But she also drew a line between her identity and the geography being used to define it.
“The Real Warri Pikin brand is bigger than where I was born. I am not limited by my local government. I am not defined only by where my father comes from or where my mother comes from.
I represent every local government in Delta State.
I represent Delta State.
I represent Nigeria.
I represent Africa.
And as a woman, I represent women across tribes, races and borders.
There are no limitations to what God has called me to do on this earth, and I will not allow anyone to reduce that calling to geography, tribe or politics.
I love my state deeply. I love my country. I love my continent.
And I will continue to work, build and use every gift God has given me to contribute positively to the places and people I represent.”
For her, the name Real Warri Pikin should therefore not become a boundary, but a platform.
There was no bitterness in the final part of her statement.
Real Warri Pikin thanked those who supported her during the controversy, including people who called, offered advice and encouraged her.
She also addressed those whose actions, in her view, contributed to the division that led to the cancellation. She said she held no bitterness towards them. Instead, she prayed that everyone would gain the wisdom to understand that people achieve more by building together than by dividing themselves.
And although the September 20 show will no longer happen, she made it clear that she does not see the cancellation as the end of her journey.
A Comedian Caught Between The Places She Calls Home
Real Warri Pikin’s latest experience reveals a side of celebrity that is often hidden behind the laughter.
For years, her name has been part of her brand. But according to her account, that same name has increasingly become a point of argument over identity and territory.
Her story also reflects a wider challenge in a diverse state like Delta, where ethnic identities, history and questions of land and belonging can be deeply personal.
But Real Warri Pikin’s position is clear. She does not want to choose one part of Delta State at the expense of another. Neither does she want every professional decision to become an ethnic statement. And she does not want a mistake or misunderstanding to erase everything she believes she represents.
The September 20 show may no longer be happening. The billboards may come down, the jingles may stop and the event may never take place as originally planned.
But for Real Warri Pikin, the larger work continues. She remains, in her own words, proudly Delta, proudly Nigerian and proudly African.
