Orji Kalu: Anioma are Igbo… a sixth south-east state should be created from there

• The south-east is the only zone in Nigeria with only five states and leaders from the zone have been clamouring for the creation of an additional state in the zone.

The Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has expressed his backing for the establishment of Anioma State from Delta State as the sixth state in the Southeast.

The Southeast geopolitical zone remains the only region in Nigeria with just five states, prompting its leaders to push for another state to align with other regions.

Former Abia State Governor, Senator Kalu, stated on Channels Television’s Politics Today that forming Anioma State would ease concerns over the perceived exclusion of the Igbo people.

“Of course, Anioma State should be created as the sixth South-East state. It’s the only state that will be viable to be created,” Senator Kalu remarked.

“Anioma are Igbos and they never said they are not Igbos. The sixth South-East state should be created, and it should be from Anioma.”

The proposed Anioma State is being championed by Delta North Senator Ned Nwoko, who asserts that it aims to “correct historical oversight.”

Senator Nwoko contends that establishing Anioma State will rectify the enduring disparity in the distribution of states within Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.

He highlighted that the Southeast currently consists of five states, in contrast to its counterparts, except the Northwest, which uniquely consists of seven states.

The Delta Senator insisted that this unequal distribution leads to an imbalance in political representation, leaving the Southeast with 15 senators instead of the usual 18.

Senator Nwoko’s proposed new state comprises nine local government areas, all of which are currently part of Delta State.

Recently, lawmakers dismissed all 31 proposed state creation requests, stating that none of them satisfied the necessary constitutional requirements for approval.

The committee explained that after thorough evaluation, none of the 31 submissions met the constitutional conditions required to warrant further consideration.