APC Vice-Chairman Demands Creation of Anim State, Says South-East Suffering Structural Injustice

The National Vice-Chairman (South-East) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, has renewed calls for the creation of Anim State, insisting that the South-East has endured decades of structural imbalance that places the region at a political and economic disadvantage.

Arodiogbu, in a statement titled “Restoring Balance, Renewing Hope: The Imperative of Anim State Creation for a Fairer Nigeria,” said the zone remains the only geopolitical region with five states, while all others enjoy six or seven.

According to him, this disparity is not a mere statistic but a structural limitation that affects the South-East’s representation and influence at the federal level.

“It translates into fewer senators, fewer House of Representatives members, fewer federal constituencies, fewer votes at NEC, smaller monthly allocations, fewer ministerial positions and fewer appointments into federal boards and parastatals,” he said.

He argued that the disadvantage is so entrenched that “no amount of individual brilliance or collective industry by the people of the South-East can fully overcome it.”

Arodiogbu said the 10th National Assembly has taken a bold step by confronting the injustice, noting that the bill for the creation of Anim State, sponsored by Senator Osita Izunaso of Imo West, has passed second reading in the Senate.

He added that the proposal is already gaining traction in the House of Representatives and is expected to move to the President for assent after concurrence.

“This is leadership that posterity will celebrate,” he said.

The APC leader explained that the proposed Anim State would be carved out of communities across the Anambra–Imo boundary, which he said share centuries-old cultural and historical bonds.

According to him, the towns earmarked for the new state intermarry, speak the same central Igbo dialects, and trace their ancestry to the same Nri-Awka-Orlu migratory roots.

He stressed that the 1914 British boundaries disrupted natural community groupings, arguing that residents continue to see themselves as “one indivisible family.”

“Even today, traditional rulers from Ihiala attend meetings of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers when issues affecting their common heritage arise,” he noted.

Arodiogbu assured that every constitutional requirement for state creation is being followed meticulously. He said public hearings have been held, memoranda submitted, viability studies concluded and boundary issues fully addressed.

He added that the state assemblies in Anambra and Imo have already signalled readiness to grant concurrence once the request formally reaches them.

Addressing South-East lawmakers, Arodiogbu urged them to resist any attempt to stall the legislative process.

“The process is rigorous by design. Do not allow vested interests or last-minute manoeuvres to derail this train,” he warned.

He cautioned against postponing the committee report or slowing the conference committee stage “under the guise of further consultation.”

According to him, the creation of Anim State is not just a political aspiration but a necessary corrective step to restore equity in Nigeria’s geopolitical structure.