I Joined APC Because Tinubu Promised Me Anioma State, Says Ned Nwoko
Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District, has declared that his decision to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) was motivated by a promise from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he will create Anioma State.
Speaking to journalists after a landmark political event in Agbor last weekend, which saw a mass defection of PDP members—including a formidable socio-political group known as DUD—into the APC, Nwoko revealed the behind-the-scenes commitment from the president that spurred his political shift.
“President Tinubu promised me Anioma State. That was the deal,” Nwoko stated emphatically. “He told me, ‘Join us, and we will create Anioma as the sixth state for the Igbos.’ That was enough reason for me to move.”
The event, which was attended by APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the Governor of Edo State, and other party heavyweights, was hailed as a turning point for the APC in Delta State and the South-South zone at large. According to Nwoko, the symbolic and political weight of Anioma State goes far beyond geography—it speaks to historical justice for a people long marginalized and mischaracterized.
“A People Denied, Deprived, and Dispersed”
Senator Nwoko gave a candid and emotional account of the historical injustices suffered by Anioma people, especially during and after the Nigerian Civil War.
“Many people don’t understand that Anioma people paid a huge price for being Igbo,” he explained. “Thousands were massacred in Asaba, Ishiagu, and other parts of Delta. Their only crime was their identity. Out of fear, many began to deny their Igbo heritage. That fear, that identity crisis, still lingers today.”
He praised Ohanaeze Ndigbo for recognizing Anioma as an integral part of the Igbo nation and pushing for full cultural and political integration. “Ohanaeze treats Anioma like the seventh Igbo state. Now, we have a real opportunity to make that symbolic recognition a legal and political reality.”
Anioma: The Sixth Igbo State?
In response to critics who argue that Anioma lies in the South-South geopolitical zone, Nwoko argued that geography should not be used as a barrier to justice and logic.
“We already have five states in the Southeast. But if you divide any of them to create a new state, you’re just cutting one piece of meat into five. You’re not gaining anything—no new land, no new resources, no new population.”
“Anioma offers something different,” he said. “It expands the Igbo nation. It corrects a historic wrong. It gives the Igbos a sixth state that is rich in oil and gas, minerals, fertile land, and industrial potential.”
According to Nwoko, six out of the nine local governments that make up Anioma are rich in oil and gas, with over ten oil platforms and ongoing investments in infrastructure. “We are ready. Anioma can stand on its own.”
“This Wouldn’t Have Happened in the PDP”
The senator emphasized that his decampment to the APC is already bearing fruit. “Before joining APC, I had lobbied endlessly for funding of basic projects in Anioma—nothing happened. Now, we have nearly N30 billion in the federal budget to complete the Ogwuashi-Ukwu Dam and to start a new one in our area. That’s development. That’s impact. That’s what political alignment can do.”
He believes that with Tinubu as president, the creation of Anioma State is not a mere campaign promise but an achievable goal. “If it doesn’t happen in this tenure, it will happen in the next. I believe Tinubu will win re-election, and he will keep his word.”
