Senate considering bill for creation of new south-east state – Senator Osita Izunaso

Senator Osita Izunaso, who represents Imo West, has revealed that the Nigerian Senate is currently considering a bill proposing the creation of a new state in the south-east geopolitical zone, to be named “Anim.”

Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, June 13, Izunaso said the bill has passed its second reading and is presently before the committee on constitution review. He explained that Anim State would be carved out of parts of Anambra and Imo states.

“It’s not a favour, it’s a matter of equity. Every other region in the country has six states, except the south-east, which has only five,” Izunaso said.

He highlighted the current imbalance in Nigeria’s federal structure, noting that while the north-west has seven states, the north-east, north-central, south-west, and south-south zones each have six. The senator argued that this has left the south-east structurally “disadvantaged and contributed to long-standing grievances” in the region.

Izunaso said the proposal would go through the proper democratic channels, including a referendum. “You can’t create a state by fiat. People must agree through a referendum. That’s how democracy works,” he said.