Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The Anioma State Creation movement has warned that any threat to the re-election of Senator Ned Nwoko could undermine the long-standing quest for the creation of Anioma State, a campaign that has spanned seven decades.
The group expressed concern that the aspirations of the people across the nine local government areas of Anioma in Delta State could be jeopardised at a critical stage of the state creation process, attributing the challenge to the actions of opponents of the initiative.
In a statement signed by the Media Director of Anioma State Creation, Tonnie Oganah, the group described Senator Nwoko as a committed advocate of the cause, noting that he had devoted considerable time and personal resources to advancing the campaign.
According to the statement, “No person in the history of Anioma has ever sacrificed half as much of his time and personal resources into liberating his people. His brother senators have serially decorated him for his bills and seminal contributions to the Senate.”
The group further argued that delays in the state creation process were largely the result of divisive and unpatriotic politics by individuals opposed to the initiative.
“That the state creation has been delayed is due to the divisive nature of the unpatriotic politics of the opponents of the state creation guaranteed to empower the people as well as liberate them,” the statement said.
It also maintained that Senator Nwoko emerged convincingly from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries because the people recognised the significance of the Anioma State project and its potential benefits for future generations.
The group stated that residents of the proposed state viewed themselves as direct beneficiaries of the initiative and therefore remained supportive of Nwoko’s leadership and vision.
“They understand that they are the beneficiaries of the new state and so, being rational people, they will naturally support Ned as he is their servant-leader that will usher in new jobs, appointments, opportunities and life more abundant for every Anioma son or daughter, young or old, educated or not, rich or poor. Crime will naturally reduce when the youths are gainfully employed and engaged,” the statement added.
It appealed to the leadership of the APC and President Bola Tinubu to ensure what it described as justice for Senator Nwoko and the Anioma people, citing their loyalty to both the party and the President.
“We therefore call on the authorities of APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure justice for Ned Nwoko and the entire Anioma nation at large as we have been loyal citizens of Nigeria as well as supporters of President Tinubu.
“Our people should not be backstabbed or made a laughing stock of by the very characters who never genuinely supported APC in the first place. The APC should be wary of people claiming to be loyal to them during the day only to backstab them at the last minute by supporting some other presidential candidate of the opposition,” the statement added.