The fate of the proposed Anioma State creation may now hang in the balance following indications that Senator Ned Nwoko may not return to the Senate after the APC primaries, according to legal practitioner and public affairs commentator, Ekene Aninze Esq.
In a statement reflecting on the political implications of the development, Aninze argued that Senator Nwoko had, for over three years, made the Anioma State agitation the centerpiece of his representation of Delta North Senatorial District.
According to him, Nwoko pursued the state creation agenda with unusual intensity, leading many observers to believe that powerful political interests may have privately encouraged the project despite the constitutional hurdles surrounding state creation in Nigeria.
“Senator Ned Nwoko almost abandoned every other aspect of representation just to secure the backing of over 95 senators in support of Senate Bill 481, the Anioma State Creation Bill,” Aninze stated.
He noted that the bill had already passed First and Second Readings at the Senate, progressed through committee review and zonal public hearing stages, and was awaiting Third Reading as well as a national referendum required for constitutional amendment.
However, Aninze expressed doubts over the future of the agitation if Nwoko eventually loses political relevance within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Politics is not driven by emotions; it is driven by interests, influence, and access to power. Once a man is gradually removed from the corridors of power, even his loudest dreams can suddenly become silent,” he said.
He further argued that the APC may have tactically distanced itself from the Anioma State proposal by weakening Nwoko’s political standing rather than openly rejecting the demand.
“One thing I know about APC as a party is that the party is too wise to be foolish. They understand that no President has approved state creation since 1999, and they also know that Ned is asking for almost the impossible,” Aninze said.
According to him, preventing Nwoko’s return to the Senate could effectively stall the Anioma State campaign without any official declaration against it.
“The smartest way to deny him such an enormous request is to ensure he does not return to the Senate. That way, the agitation naturally dies on the floor of the Senate without anybody openly taking responsibility for killing it,” he added.
Aninze maintained that meaningful conversations around state creation in Nigeria can only succeed when backed by significant political influence and access to power at the highest levels.
He concluded by posing a critical question to supporters of the Anioma cause: “Who carries the Anioma State struggle from here?”
