South East Stakeholders Settle on ‘Anim-Oma State’ Proposal
…Amid Fierce Pushback from Delta North Leaders
Fresh momentum—and controversy—has emerged in the campaign for an additional state in the South East geopolitical zone, as indications from a closed-door meeting in Abuja suggest regional stakeholders may have adopted “Anim-Oma State” as their preferred proposal.
The meeting, held last Thursday at the Abuja residence of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, reportedly endorsed a framework that would merge parts of three regions: Anioma in Delta State, the old Orlu zone in Imo State, and Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. Orlu was said to have been selected as the proposed capital.
Delta North Leaders Issue Strong Rejection
News of the proposal was immediately met with firm resistance from political leaders of Delta North senatorial district. Lawmakers representing the district in the Delta State House of Assembly, alongside the nine local government chairmen, unanimously rejected any move to subsume Anioma into a South East state-creation effort.
In a strongly worded statement, the leaders reiterated their longstanding support for Anioma State but insisted it must remain within the South-South geopolitical zone, where Anioma has operated politically and administratively for decades.
Inside the Abuja Meeting
The Abuja session was convened to harmonise various state-creation movements across the South East ahead of a formal submission to national authorities. Although the gathering was originally meant for South East groups, Senator Ned Nwoko and a delegation from Anioma were granted access to present their views.
Following a series of presentations, the Deputy Speaker reportedly urged groups with overlapping proposals to consolidate their positions to strengthen the region’s case for a new state.
It was during this process that the Osita Izunaso-led Anim State movement announced a merger with Senator Nwoko’s Anioma group and representatives from Ihiala—producing the joint “Anim-Oma” proposal. Sources said the Anioma delegation agreed to drop Asaba as the preferred capital and supported Orlu instead, a concession Senator Nwoko was said to have approved.
However, the development raised concerns among some participants, who warned that incorporating parts of Delta State into a South East agenda could weaken the region’s argument for the constitutionally promised additional state.
Questions also surfaced regarding compliance with Section 8(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires that any request for state creation must secure the support of two-thirds of elected representatives across all legislative tiers within the affected area.
According to attendees, the Deputy Speaker assured the gathering that all necessary documentation had been duly filed and confirmed that the Anim-Oma proposal would be submitted as the South East’s consensus position. The meeting is expected to reconvene today for a formal vote.
Delta North: “Anioma Belongs to the South-South—Non-Negotiable”
In what emerged as the strongest part of their communiqué, Delta North leaders rejected any attempt to align Anioma with the South East, describing the proposal as “vehemently opposed,” “non-negotiable,” and at odds with the historical and administrative identity of the Anioma people.
They acknowledged deep ethnic and linguistic ties with neighbouring Igbo-speaking communities but emphasised that geopolitical identity is shaped by long-standing administrative history, political evolution, and regional integration.
The leaders restated that the Anioma State they have advocated for decades consists solely of the nine local government areas of Delta North—Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North-East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, and Ukwuani—with Asaba as capital. This configuration, they noted, aligns with historical movements championed by past Anioma leaders.
Any attempt to merge Anioma into a South East agenda, they argued, would distort history and undermine the district’s political trajectory within the South-South.
Commitment to Pursue Anioma State Within South-South
Beyond rejecting the Anim-Oma proposal, Delta North leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the creation of Anioma State strictly within the South-South region. They pledged to “actively lobby and support every legitimate effort” towards achieving this long-standing objective, which they described as essential to the political and developmental aspirations of their people.
“We are united in the belief that the creation of Anioma State is a necessary step toward fulfilling the destiny of our people,” the statement concluded.
