Support for the proposed creation of Anioma State continues to build nationwide, with 85 members of the 10th National Assembly already endorsing the initiative through their signatures.
This significant show of support comes ahead of critical zonal public hearings scheduled for July 4 and 5, where the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution will consider several proposals, including the creation of new states, as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
The hearings will be held concurrently in six geopolitical zones across Nigeria: Lagos (South-West), Enugu (South-East), Ikot Ekpene (South-South), Jos (North-Central), Maiduguri (North-East), and Kano (North-West).
Sources indicate that additional senators may lend their support in the coming weeks, as the campaign gains traction under the growing call for equity and federal balance.
Traditional rulers from the South-East have also expressed their strong support, adding weight to what is fast becoming a nationwide consensus on the need to create Anioma State.
The endorsements by senators follow a personal appeal by Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District and is spearheading the initiative. In a letter dated May 27, 2025, addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and all members of the upper chamber, Nwoko called for their backing of Senate Bill 481, which proposes the creation of Anioma State.
Nwoko urged his colleagues to embrace the moment with “courage, vision, and a commitment to justice,” adding, “Let us be remembered as the Senate that brought balance to Nigeria’s state structure and healed a longstanding national wound.”
In the letter titled “Anioma as Equity State,” Nwoko argued that the proposal transcends political convenience, stressing it is rooted in fairness and justice. He highlighted the current imbalance in the distribution of states across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, pointing out that the South-East has only five states, compared to six or seven in other zones.
“Anioma State, to be carved out of Delta State, is a just and logical solution to this imbalance,” he wrote. Nwoko also emphasized the cultural and historical ties between the Anioma region and the South-East, noting that its creation would not only address the concerns of the Igbo nation but also strengthen national unity.
In a related development, the Ndigbo Progressive Traditional Rulers Forum formally endorsed the campaign. In a letter dated May 15, 2025, and signed by HRM Eze Nnamdi Ofoegbu (Oroko Abia), Diawa I of Umudiawu Ancient Kingdom, and HRM Igwe Sunny Orah, the forum’s chairman and secretary respectively, the royal leaders praised Senator Nwoko’s advocacy.
“Your vision, passion, and courage in championing this noble cause resonate deeply with our mission as traditional rulers to uphold unity and fairness among all Igbo people,” they wrote.
The forum pledged its full support for the creation of Anioma State, vowing to lend its “royal voice and influence” to advance what it described as a just and historic cause.
Credit: ARISE TV
