…accuses Delta state government of sabotaging state creation efforts
By Kenneth Orusi
A firestorm of political controversy has erupted in Delta State following scathing allegations by Senator Ned Nwoko, who accused Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his appointees of being “anti-Anioma,” claiming they are actively working to undermine the creation of Anioma State.
In a bold and direct statement, Senator Nwoko said: “Our governor told me he will not support Anioma State. In fact, any of his commissioners or advisers who are seen talking about Anioma State are punished. They are scared to talk about Anioma State. Are you aware of that?”
“The governor, his advisors, the SAs,, they are all anti-Anioma, because they don’t want to divide Delta State for their own selfish reasons”, he revealed.
The senator, who represents Delta North, made these remarks during a high-level stakeholder engagement, where he reaffirmed his commitment to the creation of Anioma State, a long-standing demand by people of Anioma extraction in Delta North.
Speaking at an event on Thursday April 10, 2025, organized by the APC Women Support Group in collaboration with Rita Daniels Single Parenthood, Girl Child Initiative, and Regina Daniel’s Charity and Development Foundation, in Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha south local government area of the State, Nwoko stated that the governor had personally informed him of his refusal to back the creation of Anioma State.
“I am going ahead to push for the creation of Anioma State and I have the leadership of this country with me and they tell me that they would do it if I joined them what do you think I should do? The house echoed join them immediately.
He continued: “Which is what I did. Incidentally, back in Delta here our governor told me he will not support Anioma State and in fact, any of his commissioners or advisors who is seen to be talking about Anioma State, they are literally punished. They are scared to talk about Anioma State. Are you aware of that?
Nwoko, a member of the influential Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment, revealed that the bill for Anioma State has already passed both first and second readings in the Senate without objection and is now at the committee stage, a significant legislative milestone.
“But the APC on the other hand, from the president to the woman leader to the National Assembly, including the senators from Central and South, including all the House of Assembly members who are from APC, they are all supporting Anioma.
“Let me tell you this. There is nothing that will stop the creation of Anioma State,” Nwoko declared confidently.
“We are now planning for a public hearing in the next few months, and after that, the matter returns to the Senate for final consideration. Then, it will be up to the president to fulfill his promise to me.
In the Senate, I am in a very important committee. This committee is called the
Constitutional Amendment Committee. We have 37 senators across the country. I am the one representing Delta in that committee.
“It is the most important committee in the Senate, there is nobody in that committee who is not supporting the creation of Anioma State, as a matter of fact Anioma State, is the only new state that has made it to the level or the state of the committee’s level.
“You know, the first State is the first reading it went through first reading. It went through second reading, no objection from anybody then it has been committed to the committee stage of the senate.
“So what we are planning for now, is the public hearing. There’ll be a public hearing in the next few months and at that point, I will invite any one of you here who has the strength who has the time to come to Abuja.
“After the public hearing, it will return to the senate for a third hearing and then when it’s done, it is now up to the president and his government to help me to actualize what they promised me. So we’re almost there.
He further stated that while Delta’s PDP-led state government, under Oborevwori’s leadership, is allegedly resistant to the idea of state bifurcation, key figures within the APC, including the President, the National Woman Leader, and lawmakers from both the Central and South senatorial districts, have thrown their weight behind the Anioma State initiative.
“The APC, from the President down, is supporting Anioma,” Nwoko asserted. “But those in Delta PDP are holding us back for selfish reasons, they fear the loss of political control.”
The senator also took a swipe at his predecessors from Anioma, questioning their silence on the matter during their time in office.
“I always ask one question, I say I’m not the first senator from Anioma, we’ve had Senator Osakwe, Senator Nwaoboshi, Senator Okowa. Why didn’t they talked about Anioma State?
“Why didn’t Okowa, Nwaoboshi, or others push for Anioma State? They were scared of what Central and South would say. I have no such fears.”
“Do you know why they didn’t talked about Anioma State? Because they were scared of what Central and South will say to them. I have no such worries because at the end of the day what will happen is that there will be two state.
Painting a picture of the benefits, Nwoko emphasized that the creation of Anioma State would lead to increased representation and development.
“One state, Anioma with capital in Asaba, the other state whatever they’re going to call it, it might be new Delta or still Delta, the capital in Warri. So there’ll be
two states, so everybody should want two states.
“That means there’ll be two Governors, two Deputy Governors, there’ll be six senators instead of three now and many more jobs, and more federal presence.”
As the senator rallies support for the next phase, a public hearing in Abuja, political watchers say this confrontation could deepen the divide within Delta State’s political landscape, especially as the calls for equity and recognition intensify in the buildup to the 2027 general elections.
Whether Senator Nwoko’s blunt criticism and legislative push will catalyze the birth of Nigeria’s 37th state or plunge Delta politics into deeper turbulence remains to be seen.
What is clear, however, is that the Anioma question has returned to the front burner, and this time, with unprecedented political backing.
“I am sure you know the benefits but let me let me go back to history, I did not start it but as I always say to people anywhere I will finish the race”, he declared.
As of press time effort to get the side of the governor failed.
Kenneth Orusi, is the Publisher and Editor-in-chief of The Story and Chairman, ICC, Delta NUJ.
