PRESS RELEASE
From the Office of the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives
Federal Republic of Nigeria
October 29, 2025
State Creation: Proponents to Defend Requests Before National Assembly – Deputy Speaker Kalu
…as Leaders of Aba State Movement Pay Courtesy Visit
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR, has announced that proponents of state creation in the South East will soon be invited to make formal presentations before members of the National Assembly to defend their requests.
Kalu made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja when he received the leaders of the Aba State Movement from the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc of Abia State. The delegation was led by Chief Theo Nkire, the first Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Abia State.
He stated that invitations would be extended to all groups seeking new states in the region to justify their proposals.
Recall that the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review, during its retreat in Lagos over the weekend, unanimously approved—on grounds of equity, justice, and fairness—the creation of an additional state in the South East to bring the region at par with other geopolitical zones.
Kalu noted that any proposed state must demonstrate clear population strength and economic viability.
He revealed that the delegation—which included Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Austin Akobundu, Hon. Chris Nkwonta, Hon. Munachim Alozie, Senator Nkechi Nwogu, Hon. Uzo Azubuike, Chief Sam Nkire, HRM Eze Love Wogu, HRM Eze Tony Wabara, Dr. Onye Achilihu, Chief Geoffrey Akara and others—would be given an opportunity to present to a wider South East audience to justify the merits of their request.
**“You will be called upon to defend your request. Beyond the historical analysis are the economics of the project—the design, sustainability, and capacity to stand comparative analysis with others.
We will provide opportunities for all groups seeking a state to make presentations to convince the South Easterners on where it should be and whether the state would be sustainable.
We are proposing a meeting in early November, where Igbo stakeholders will make presentations at a public hearing. They must present convincing data—population figures, economic viability, maps, and other relevant statistics. It must be very convincing.”**
Aba State Movement Reaffirms Case for New State
Earlier, Chief Theo Nkire, speaking on behalf of the delegation, presented the historical background supporting the creation of Aba State. He said the demand—dating back to 1954—is the oldest and most viable among the proposals, backed by strong population and economic capacity.
He recalled that the request gained national prominence through a landmark submission before the Willink Minority Commission in 1957.
Nkire noted that the proposed state—comprising Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Aba North, Aba South, Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East, and Ukwa West LGAs—has, since pre-independence, remained a cohesive socio-political and economic bloc united by shared ancestry, enterprise, and geography.
He further stated that Ohanaeze Ndigbo endorsed the creation of Aba State in 2018.
“In 1983, the National Assembly passed a resolution for a referendum for the creation of Aba State. Despite Aba’s indisputable status as the commercial heartbeat of the South East and a symbol of Igbo resilience, this vision remains unrealized.
The creation of Aba State is not merely a political demand but a long-overdue remedy for neglect—a moral and historical imperative and a strategic step toward equity, inclusion, and balanced national development.
Renewed momentum emerged in 2014 when the National Conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan recommended Aba State as the additional state required to redress geopolitical imbalance in the South East.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo reaffirmed this in 2018, endorsing Aba State through its special committee on state creation. This aspiration remains a just and time-honoured pursuit rooted in equity, history, and decades of advocacy.”
Nkire emphasized that the Movement remains committed to achieving the creation of Aba State through unity, informed advocacy, and constitutional processes—reflecting the aspirations of the Ukwa/Ngwa people, the South East, and the Nigerian Federation.
Signed:
Levinus Nwabughiogu
Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker
House of Representatives
Federal Republic of Nigeria
