Anioma State Debate Ignites as Delta North Political Leaders Reject South East Merger

The push for the creation of Anioma State has taken a fiery turn as lawmakers from Delta North Senatorial District and Chairmen of the nine Local Government Councils have firmly rejected any proposal to situate the new state within the South-East geopolitical zone.

Rising from an emergency meeting in Asaba, the political leaders declared that the Anioma State they envision is the one championed by their forebears, made up strictly of the nine local government areas of Delta North with Asaba as its capital, and rooted unmistakably in the South-South region.

The LGAs include Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North-East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, and Ukwuani.

In a strongly worded joint statement titled “Anioma State Creation: Delta North Legislators and Local Government Chairmen Reject Proposal for Anioma State in South-East; Reaffirm Commitment to South-South Geopolitical Zone,” the leaders dismissed any suggestion of merging Anioma with the South-East as “completely unacceptable and fundamentally inconsistent with our history.”

According to the statement, Anioma’s quest for statehood is not a new agitation but a legacy project rooted in decades of struggle, cultural identity, and political aspiration.

“Our quest for a distinct and autonomous Anioma State is not a fleeting political venture but a legitimate aspiration deeply rooted in history,” the leaders said. “This dream, championed by our revered forebears, is tied to our unique cultural identity, our language, and our collective developmental destiny.”

They insisted that Anioma belongs in the South-South and must remain there, calling any attempt to realign it with the South-East a distortion of historical and administrative reality.

“We make it unequivocally clear that we vehemently oppose any proposed move or merger with any part of the South-East geopolitical zone. The Anioma people are historically, geographically, and administratively aligned with the South-South. This position is non-negotiable,” the statement affirmed.

Reiterating their commitment, the lawmakers and council chairmen vowed to use their political weight to support the creation of Anioma State, but only one that reflects the original vision passed down through generations.