The campaign for the creation of Anioma State has gained major momentum, with 97 senators and President Bola Tinubu reportedly supporting the proposal, according to Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North).
Speaking at the Izu Anioma Towns Union event in Abuja, where the maiden Anioma Cultural Festival (Anioma Day) was launched, Nwoko said the initiative has reached an advanced stage following extensive consultations and bipartisan legislative backing.
He explained that the bill seeks to carve Anioma from nine local government areas in Delta North — including four in Aniocha, Oshimili, two in Ika, and three in Ndokwa — while some neighbouring communities like Igbanke have expressed interest in joining.
“Only one state will be created in Nigeria, and that one state will be Anioma,” Nwoko declared, adding that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and President Tinubu have both endorsed the move as part of efforts to ensure regional balance by granting the South-East a sixth state.
He noted that extensive lobbying, consultations, and stakeholder engagements were ongoing, with the Senate and House Committees on Constitutional Amendment agreeing on the need for equitable state distribution.
A high-level meeting involving governors, traditional rulers, and Anioma leaders is scheduled for next weekend in Awka, where the region is expected to be formally adopted as the South-East’s candidate for state creation.
Once approved, the proposal will move through the Presidency, state assemblies, and governors, culminating in a national referendum.
Nwoko expressed optimism that President Tinubu’s eventual endorsement would mark “a historic moment,” saying, “I did not start this struggle, but I will finish it. Anioma State will be the beginning of a new era.”
He also linked the creation of Anioma State and the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to lasting peace and stability in the South-East.
