{"id":8120,"date":"2025-07-01T06:59:21","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T06:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/?p=8120"},"modified":"2025-07-01T06:59:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T06:59:21","slug":"anioma-state-85-senators-endorse-creation-ahead-of-constitutional-zonal-hearings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/01\/anioma-state-85-senators-endorse-creation-ahead-of-constitutional-zonal-hearings\/","title":{"rendered":"Anioma State: 85 Senators Endorse Creation Ahead of Constitutional Zonal Hearings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"444\" data-end=\"640\"><strong data-start=\"444\" data-end=\"640\">Momentum for the creation of Anioma State is accelerating as 85 senators of Nigeria\u2019s 10th National Assembly have signed their support ahead of the July 2025 constitutional amendment hearings.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"642\" data-end=\"986\">The initiative, driven by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), aims to correct long-standing regional imbalances in Nigeria\u2019s geopolitical structure. The endorsements come days before <strong data-start=\"822\" data-end=\"870\">zonal public hearings scheduled for July 4\u20135<\/strong>, where proposals for new states will be reviewed under the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"988\" data-end=\"1037\">Hearings will hold across six geopolitical zones:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1038\" data-end=\"1204\">\n<li data-start=\"1038\" data-end=\"1063\">\n<p data-start=\"1040\" data-end=\"1063\"><strong data-start=\"1040\" data-end=\"1055\">South-west:<\/strong> Lagos<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1064\" data-end=\"1089\">\n<p data-start=\"1066\" data-end=\"1089\"><strong data-start=\"1066\" data-end=\"1081\">South-east:<\/strong> Enugu<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1090\" data-end=\"1122\">\n<p data-start=\"1092\" data-end=\"1122\"><strong data-start=\"1092\" data-end=\"1108\">South-south:<\/strong> Ikot Ekpene<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1123\" data-end=\"1149\">\n<p data-start=\"1125\" data-end=\"1149\"><strong data-start=\"1125\" data-end=\"1143\">North-central:<\/strong> Jos<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1150\" data-end=\"1179\">\n<p data-start=\"1152\" data-end=\"1179\"><strong data-start=\"1152\" data-end=\"1167\">North-east:<\/strong> Maiduguri<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1180\" data-end=\"1204\">\n<p data-start=\"1182\" data-end=\"1204\"><strong data-start=\"1182\" data-end=\"1197\">North-west:<\/strong> Kano<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1206\" data-end=\"1311\">More lawmakers are expected to sign on, signaling growing consensus across Nigeria\u2019s political landscape.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1313\" data-end=\"1374\"><strong data-start=\"1317\" data-end=\"1374\">Ned Nwoko: Anioma State Is About Equity, Not Politics<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1376\" data-end=\"1575\">In a letter dated <strong data-start=\"1394\" data-end=\"1410\">May 27, 2025<\/strong>, addressed to the Senate President and all senators, <strong data-start=\"1464\" data-end=\"1485\">Senator Ned Nwoko<\/strong> called for courage and justice in backing the proposal, listed under <strong data-start=\"1555\" data-end=\"1574\">Senate Bill 481<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"1577\" data-end=\"1717\">\n<p data-start=\"1579\" data-end=\"1717\">\u201cLet us be remembered as the Senate that brought balance to Nigeria\u2019s state structure and healed a longstanding national wound,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"1719\" data-end=\"1950\">Nwoko described the current imbalance, where the South-east has <strong data-start=\"1783\" data-end=\"1803\">only five states<\/strong>, while other regions have six or seven, as a historic injustice. He argued that <strong data-start=\"1884\" data-end=\"1894\">Anioma<\/strong>, to be carved from Delta State, would right that wrong.<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"1952\" data-end=\"2082\">\n<p data-start=\"1954\" data-end=\"2082\">\u201cAnioma is not about redrawing boundaries for convenience. It\u2019s a just and logical solution to geopolitical imbalance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2084\" data-end=\"2247\">He also emphasized Anioma\u2019s <strong data-start=\"2112\" data-end=\"2161\">cultural and ancestral ties to the South-east<\/strong>, describing it as a move that would strengthen <strong data-start=\"2209\" data-end=\"2246\">national unity and federal equity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2249\" data-end=\"2295\"><strong data-start=\"2253\" data-end=\"2295\">Traditional Rulers Back State Creation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2297\" data-end=\"2496\">Backing from <strong data-start=\"2310\" data-end=\"2338\">traditional institutions<\/strong> came via the <strong data-start=\"2352\" data-end=\"2399\">Ndigbo Progressive Traditional Rulers Forum<\/strong>, which formally endorsed the campaign in a letter dated <strong data-start=\"2456\" data-end=\"2472\">May 15, 2025<\/strong>. The letter, signed by:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2498\" data-end=\"2605\">\n<li data-start=\"2498\" data-end=\"2567\">\n<p data-start=\"2500\" data-end=\"2567\"><strong data-start=\"2500\" data-end=\"2554\">HRM Eze Nnamdi Ofoegbu (Diawa I of Umudiawu, Abia)<\/strong> \u2014 Chairman<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2568\" data-end=\"2605\">\n<p data-start=\"2570\" data-end=\"2605\"><strong data-start=\"2570\" data-end=\"2593\">HRM Igwe Sunny Orah<\/strong> \u2014 Secretary<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2607\" data-end=\"2665\">praised Nwoko\u2019s leadership and pledged full royal support.<\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"2667\" data-end=\"2823\">\n<p data-start=\"2669\" data-end=\"2823\">\u201cYour vision and courage in championing this noble cause resonate deeply with our mission to uphold unity and fairness among all Igbo people,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2825\" data-end=\"2948\">They committed to lending their influence and voice to secure Anioma State\u2019s place in Nigeria\u2019s evolving federal framework.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2950\" data-end=\"2994\"><strong data-start=\"2954\" data-end=\"2994\">National Implications and Next Steps<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2996\" data-end=\"3243\">The push for Anioma State is seen as part of a broader call for restructuring and inclusivity in Nigeria\u2019s federal arrangement. If approved, it would bring the <strong data-start=\"3156\" data-end=\"3180\">South-east to parity<\/strong> with other regions, making it the <strong data-start=\"3215\" data-end=\"3242\">sixth state in the zone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3245\" data-end=\"3501\">The outcome of the upcoming public hearings will determine the proposal\u2019s path forward, as any amendment to the Nigerian Constitution requires <strong data-start=\"3388\" data-end=\"3500\">approval from two-thirds of both houses of the National Assembly and two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Momentum for the creation of Anioma State is accelerating as 85 senators of Nigeria\u2019s 10th National Assembly have signed their support ahead of the July 2025 constitutional amendment hearings. The initiative, driven by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), aims to correct long-standing regional imbalances in Nigeria\u2019s geopolitical structure. The endorsements come days before zonal public [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"85 senators back Anioma State creation as Senate prepares for July 4\u20135 public hearings on constitutional amendment proposals.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35,36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-politics"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8120"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8120"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8124,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8120\/revisions\/8124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}