Delta North lawmakers, council chairmen reject proposed inclusion of Anioma in South-East

Lawmakers representing the Delta North Senatorial District in the Delta State House of Assembly, alongside the nine local government chairmen from the district, have firmly rejected proposals suggesting that a future Anioma State should be situated within the South-East geopolitical zone.

In a jointly signed statement issued on Sunday, the legislators and council chairmen reaffirmed their longstanding demand for the creation of Anioma State. Still, they insisted that it must remain within the South-South region, where the Anioma people are historically and administratively located.

They stated that their position was based on extensive deliberations in renewed national conversations and ongoing legislative processes regarding the creation of new states across the country.

According to the group, the agitation for Anioma State is “a legitimate aspiration deeply rooted in history,” championed by past and present leaders of the people. They described the struggle as a generational pursuit aimed at securing political identity, preserving cultural heritage, and accelerating development for the Anioma nation.

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The leaders expressed “total and unequivocal support” for the creation of Anioma State strictly from the present nine local government areas in the Delta North Senatorial District. The LGAs are Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North-East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, and Ukwuani, with Asaba proposed as the state capital.

They pledged to deploy their “full political weight and mandate” to lobby and support every legitimate effort that would lead to the establishment of Anioma State.

However, the group condemned what they described as attempts to drag Anioma into a merger with the South-East, stressing that such proposals contradict the historical and geopolitical identity of the people.

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