Umahi says proposed sixth South-East state remains under discussion

Nigeria’s Works Minister, Dave Umahi, says efforts to create a sixth state for the South-East region remain under way. He described the proposal as “a work in progress” during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. Umahi said President Bola Tinubu’s administration had shown greater interest in the region and had integrated it into the wider country.

He cited the appointments of senior officials, saying the South-East had previously had a naval chief and now had an air force chief. “The South-East is not asking for treatment better than others. We just want to be fairly treated,” Umahi said.

He also thanked the National Assembly and said discussions about creating an additional state were continuing. The South-East currently has five states. Proposals in recent months have focused on creating a new state from Delta North, an area also referred to as Anioma.

Senator Orji Kalu said in a March 2025 appearance on Channels Television that Anioma should become the sixth South-East state. Kalu said Anioma people are Igbo and had not rejected that identity. He described the proposed state as the only viable option for expanding the region’s number of states, according to the source material.

Umahi also addressed the 2027 presidential election. Peter Obi, then the Labour Party candidate, won all five South-East states in 2023. Umahi said the APC’s poor performance had been influenced by what he called the previous administration’s marginalisation of the region.

He cited the lack of service chiefs and major ministerial portfolios from the South-East at that time. Umahi said Tinubu had corrected the situation, pointing to his own appointment as works minister and to South-East representation in foreign affairs and science and industry. He expressed confidence that Tinubu would win all the region’s states in 2027.