HURIWA Commends Ned Nwoko’s Push For Anioma State

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has commended Senator Ned Nwoko (APC–Delta North) for his sustained campaign for the creation of Anioma State.

HURIWA in a statement on Monday signed by its National Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko said the development represents a major milestone in the decades-long struggle for equity and constitutional balance among Nigeria’s geo-political zones, noting that the South East remains the only region with five states while others have six or seven.

The rights group said it was convinced that the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitution Review, which recently resolved to create a new state for the South East, was largely influenced by the legislative and political groundwork championed by Senator Nwoko and supported by other key lawmakers.

According to HURIWA, beyond sponsoring the bill before the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Nwoko had successfully secured the endorsement of over two-thirds of senators in support of the Anioma State proposal; an unprecedented feat that advanced the South East’s case for parity in the federation.

The association recalled reports that at least 85 senators initially signed the document, with the figure later climbing to over 90 lawmakers, including top-ranking principal officers of the Senate.

HURIWA said the overwhelming support for the Anioma bill, coupled with the recent committee approval for a new state in the South East, signaled a decisive shift in the conversation about political fairness, representation, and national inclusion.

The association argued that if only one state is to be created for the South East, Anioma stands as the most plausible and equitable option, given its Igbo identity, historical alignment, and geographic location west of the River Niger.

“Anioma should be recognised as the new state because it offers a true addition to the South East and not a re-carving of existing states,” HURIWA maintained, warning that any attempt to simply redraw boundaries within the region would yield no tangible advantage to the Igbo-speaking population.

The group, however, expressed concern that extending similar state-creation privileges to other regions (especially those that already have six or seven states) would defeat the purpose of correcting the long-standing imbalance that has marginalised the Igbo people in national representation and resource allocation.

It described as illogical any attempt to simultaneously create new states in the South West or North while offering only one additional state to the South East, arguing that such a move would amount to “repeating the same historical injustice the constitution review seeks to remedy.”

HURIWA reiterated that the Igbo-speaking population, estimated at over 50 million Nigerians, remains one of the country’s three major ethnic groups alongside the Yoruba and Hausa, and therefore deserves equal structural recognition in the federation.

The group urged both chambers of the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly to expedite the legislative process to ensure that Anioma State becomes a constitutional reality.

HURIWA added that the creation of Anioma State would not only strengthen the federation but also honour the heritage and aspirations of the Igbo people, crediting Senator Nwoko for his foresight, lobbying efforts, and personal sacrifices in championing what it called “one of the most credible and unifying state creation campaigns in modern Nigerian history.”