ABUJA/Nigeria: Fresh signals from the Presidency indicate that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may approve the creation of only one additional state at the conclusion of the ongoing constitutional and legislative process, with Anioma State emerging as the leading contender.
Investigations in Abuja revealed on Monday that consultations have reached an advanced stage among key political stakeholders, particularly over the classification of the proposed state within the South-East geopolitical zone.
The development comes amid renewed calls by Senator Ned Nwoko for sustained and unified support from Ndigbo for the creation of Anioma State as the sixth state in the South-East, a move proponents say will address long-standing feelings of marginalisation in the region.
Sources close to the Presidency disclosed that of the numerous requests for new states currently before the National Assembly, only the Anioma proposal is receiving serious attention, largely because of its potential to correct the imbalance in the number of states across the geopolitical zones.
“Anioma State would be created to compensate the South-East region and Ndigbo in general,” one of the sources said. “Mr President is fully aware of the arguments for and against the creation of the state, but he considers Anioma the most viable among the various requests. He is keen on achieving geopolitical balance, equity, fair representation and justice.”
The South-East currently has only five states, making it the zone with the least number of states in the federation, a situation that has remained a major grievance among political leaders and socio-cultural groups from the area.
However, the proposal has continued to generate controversy within Delta State, where some groups have opposed the inclusion of Anioma in the South-East and argued instead that the proposed state should remain within the South-South geopolitical zone, which would increase the number of states in that region to seven.
Presidential sources dismissed agitation by some stakeholders for the creation of a proposed “Anim-Oma State,” which would combine parts of Delta, Imo and Anambra states with Orlu as capital, describing the idea as lacking sufficient political backing.
Under the prevailing plan, Anioma State would be carved out of Delta State and designated as the sixth state in the South-East, with Asaba proposed as its capital, barring any last-minute change.
Although it is not yet clear when a meeting between President Tinubu and key stakeholders will hold, sources said it would come after further consultations with the leadership of the National Assembly, who are said to be favourably disposed to the initiative.
Reacting to the development, Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District and has been at the forefront of the agitation, expressed confidence that the long-running campaign would soon yield results.
“This is a historic clamour that has never enjoyed this level of national attention and support,” Nwoko said. “It is a golden opportunity for the Igbo people to reunite with their kith and kin across the Niger.
“The Ohanaeze constitution recognises Anioma as the sixth Igbo state and Ikwerre as the seventh. It is therefore not a coincidence that over 90 senators have declared their total support for the creation of Anioma State.”
He urged Ndigbo to sustain the momentum, describing the current moment as a rare opportunity to correct what he called a long-standing structural imbalance in the Nigerian federation.
