Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has strongly rejected calls for the creation of a new state from Akwa Ibom, saying “They will not succeed.”
The Governor made this statement during a Special Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service held on Sunday to celebrate the 38th anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria’s 65th Independence. The theme of the event was “Behold How Good and How Pleasant…”
While addressing the issue, Governor Eno said:
“You will not have any other state, other than this Akwa Ibom. Those struggling to create another state – they will not succeed. Akwa Ibom remains one.”
He added that as long as he remains Governor, Akwa Ibom will not be divided.
Background: Calls for Obolo State
The Governor’s remarks come amid renewed agitations for the creation of Obolo State, which is proposed to be carved out of parts of Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.
In July 2025, the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution confirmed that it is reviewing a list of 46 new state creation proposals, including Obolo.
The committee, led by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, also revealed that it had received 117 requests for new local governments and two boundary adjustment proposals.
Obolo State is among several high-profile requests, alongside:
Savannah (from Borno)
Katagum (from Bauchi)
Okun and Okura (from Kogi)
Anioma (from Delta)
Adada (from Enugu)
Lagoon (from Lagos and Ogun)
The push for Obolo State is supported by some riverine communities in both Akwa Ibom and Rivers, who say they have been fighting for self-determination and better political representation for decades.
Opposition to Obolo State
However, several prominent Akwa Ibom leaders, including former Minister Chief Nduese Essien, have publicly rejected the idea.
Speaking earlier in August during the installation of Dr. Solomon Daniel Etuk as the 4th Grand Patron of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, Chief Essien described the campaign for Obolo State as an attempt at land grabbing.
He said:
“No state will be created out of Ibibio land. This land has been defended for over a century, even up to the Privy Council in London.”
