The push to create a new Adada State from the current Enugu State was strongly voiced again during a recent public hearing on changes to Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
At the hearing, Chief Nnia Nwodo, a former leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, spoke for many leaders in the region. He said Adada is the most ready and qualified among all proposed new states in the southeast.
He explained that Adada has already fulfilled the legal steps required for state creation as stated in the Constitution. These include getting approval from representatives in both the National Assembly and state legislative houses.
Also supporting the move, Chief James Ugwu, who leads the Adada State Movement, shared that the call for Adada State began right after the civil war in 1970. At the time, the request was taken to the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon.
Senator Okey Ezea from Enugu North also backed the proposal. He said Adada’s request is legal and complete, and should be approved by the National Assembly without delay.
This strong backing came during the Senate’s constitutional review hearing for the southeast zone held in Enugu.
Nwodo gave details about the constitutional requirement. Section 8(1) says a new state can only be created if at least two-thirds of lawmakers in the area agree to it. He showed proof that all relevant lawmakers and council officials in the affected area had already signed in support of Adada State.
He also mentioned that Adada was the only new state recommended for creation during the 2014 Constitutional Conference led by Justice Idris Kutigi. Nwodo believes Adada is the most promising proposed state in the southeast, rich in both human and natural resources.
Nwodo expressed disappointment that even though other old provinces have become states, the Nsukka area (which would form Adada State) has been left out. He said Nsukka remains the only colonial province in northern Igboland without a state capital, while the southern Igbo regions already have three state capitals.
He added that fairness demands Adada should be the next state in the southeast since its agitation started as far back as 1983 in the Senate. According to him, ignoring this demand creates imbalance and division.
He said, “When states were last created, the northern Igbo areas (Enugu and Ebonyi) only got two states while the southern parts got three. That’s unfair. Also, Igbos are undercounted in national population figures because many live outside their home states and register in other places.”
He explained that Adada includes seven of Enugu’s 17 local government areas, with six in Enugu North and one in Enugu East. Even though they make up 54% of Enugu’s population, they have only six local councils. Meanwhile, other senatorial zones with smaller populations have more representatives.
Nwodo said, “It’s wrong for anyone in southern Igbo land to ask for a new state while Adada, with its long history of agitation, is still waiting. We’ve been patient since after the creation of Abia, Imo, and Anambra states.”
He said that past Senate Presidents, including David Mark and Ahmed Lawan, paid attention to Adada’s case but the federal government at those times did not prioritize state creation.
He noted that the 2014 constitutional conference also supported Adada as the only new state for the region. Even when all Igbo leaders met in Imo State during Governor Achike Udenwa’s time, they agreed that Adada should be the next state. That agreement has never changed.
Nwodo added that Adada is full of potential. It has oil and gas resources, fertile land for farming, and a river system that connects to the Niger and Benue rivers. It also has many educated people who can manage the state well.
He said, “Adada has everything it takes to stand on its own as a state. We just need the National Assembly to do what is right.”
Chief Ugwu, leader of the Adada State Movement, confirmed that they submitted the request for Adada back in 1970. He stressed that the new state would correct the imbalance within Igbo land by giving the northern Igbos (Wawa people) a third state to match the southern Igbos.
He said the next step is for the National Assembly to send the request to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a referendum, as stated in the Constitution.
Senator Okey Ezea added that Adada is the only remaining province in Nigeria that has never been made a state. He agreed it’s the only proposal that fully meets the legal requirements under section 8(1)(a) of the Constitution.
