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Gloria Okolugbo
From Cultural Aspiration to Constitutional Consideration.
For decades, the idea of Anioma has lived in our conversations, our culture, our shared ancestry and our collective memory as a people. What started as a simple affirmation of identity has matured into a structured political journey that now stands before the nation as one of the most organised and credible bids for state creation in contemporary Nigeria. The renewed agitation for Anioma State is therefore not an emotional quest. It is a disciplined pursuit of equity and a response to long standing structural imbalances within the federation.
Today, the journey has reached a point where history is no longer being imagined. It is being negotiated. And it is being documented stage by stage.
The cultural foundation: Anioma as a lived identity
The earliest push for Anioma was rooted in culture. Our traditional institutions, cultural bodies and scholars consistently projected the distinct identity of Delta North. The unity of the Aniocha, Ika, Ndokwa and Ukwuani people provided the social foundation upon which political advocacy could stand. This cultural clarity remains one of Anioma’s greatest strengths. When a people know who they are, their political claims become anchored in legitimacy.
Legislative acceleration: The Senate bill that changed the tide
The agitation took a decisive turn when Senator Ned Nwoko sponsored the bill for the creation of Anioma State from the nine local government areas of Delta North. This was a historic step forward because it gave Anioma a clearly defined geographic, administrative and constitutional structure. The proposed state was not built on assumptions. It was built on an already functional zone within Delta with established boundaries, resources and local government formations.
Senator Ned did more than sponsor a bill. He laid out the constitutional framing of a viable state by providing the population data, the economic viability indicators, the administrative footprint and the cultural coherence required under the constitution. The bill therefore became more than a submission. It became the model of how a new state can be presented within a modern constitutional process.
The Senate debate that followed showed broad support across party lines. For the first time in recent years, Anioma was placed firmly and legitimately on the national legislative agenda.
Constitution Review Committee: Anioma enters the national shortlist
When the Constitution Review Committee began its national assessment of proposals for new states, Anioma stood out because it had both structure and history. At the committee retreats, including the well publicised session in Kano, and thereafter, Lagos, members examined each submission through legal thresholds, population spread, geographic continuity and administrative viability.
Anioma consistently met these constitutional requirements. The clarity of the nine defined LGAs made it one of the most complete submissions before the committee. The outcome of this rigorous process was a major breakthrough. Anioma was shortlisted as one of the viable proposals and was recognised in the national conversation as a response to the long acknowledged need for a sixth state in the South East.
The harmonised position: A unified case for one additional state
One of the most strategic developments in this journey is the conversation about a harmonised position for the proposed South East state. This debate acknowledges that the zone cannot present fragmented demands.
Groups from Imo, Anambra and parts of Delta presented their aspirations, including the proposals for Anim and other neighbouring formations. Through sustained dialogue, the conversation has now evolved toward a single united position that recognises the historical ties, cultural connections and administrative logic that Anioma brings to the table.
Because Anioma is already framed around a constitutionally coherent block of LGAs, it is placed at the centre of this harmonised outlook.
The journey so far and the path ahead
Anioma’s progress has not been accidental. It has been driven by deliberate advocacy, bipartisan engagement and respect for constitutional order. The milestones that remain include:
• the formal adoption of the boundary framework by the appropriate sub committee
• securing the required two thirds support from state assemblies
• the referendum that confirms the will of the people
• final approval by the National Assembly in accordance with constitutional requirements
Each stage demands unity, strategy and an unbroken commitment to the greater good of the proposed state and the South East zone.
Why Anioma matters
Anioma State is not merely a geographic adjustment. It offers balanced development, a more equitable federation and a long overdue correction in Nigeria’s political configuration. It aligns with the national search for fairness, stability and administrative efficiency.
The journey is far from over, but the progress so far shows what is possible when a people are consistent, organised and guided by logic, history and conviction.
Anioma has moved from aspiration to national recognition. From recognition to legislative documentation. And from documentation, it now approaches the threshold of constitutional reality.
As Anioma approaches the referendum stage, it is crucial for every citizen to understand that this is the defining moment. When people boycott voting processes or fail to come out and clearly express their will, they unintentionally empower actions taken outside the mandate of the people. The referendum is not a formality. It is the voice of Anioma speaking for itself. Any misgivings should wait for the referendum. All Anioma citizens must therefore approach the referendum with determination, without fear or favour, and vote in support of Anioma State so that the future we have worked for is secured by the people themselves.
