Ned Nwoko Says Anioma State Demand Not Political, But Long Overdue Cultural Justice
Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North) has declared that the push for the creation of Anioma State is not driven by party politics but by a 50-year-old aspiration grounded in identity, equity, and historical justice.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, the lawmaker, who chairs the Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriation, stressed that Anioma’s demand predates partisan divides.
“It has nothing to do with the politics of the APC or the PDP,” he said. “Anioma has always maintained a distinct sense of self in spite of administrative boundaries.”
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Nwoko traced the origin of the movement to Chief Dennis Osadebay, the first Premier of the Midwest Region, who coined “Anioma” to unify the Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika, and Oshimili peoples.
“This is a generational dream tied to cultural survival and self-determination,” he said, dismissing recent attempts to politicise the agitation as “myopic.”
He noted that past and present royal fathers and leaders across political affiliations—including the new Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, and the Dein of Agbor—have thrown their weight behind the cause. He also revealed that 85 senators and the Presidency support the bid.
Referencing a recent public hearing in Uyo and Enugu on July 4 and 5, Nwoko said, “Not one voice of dissent was heard. It shows it is generally accepted and feasible.”
He added that he has no personal ambition tied to the state’s creation, warning detractors: “It is a moving train that can potentially crush any clog on its wheel of progress.”
