The traditional ruler of Umuola Egbelu Autonomous Community in Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State, Eze Love Wogu, has dismissed claims that Governor Alex Otti is opposed to the agitation for the creation of Aba State.

Speaking with journalists in Aba on Sunday, November 16, the monarch, who also serves as Chairman of the Aba State Movement, said the governor has consistently backed the push to establish Aba as the sixth state in the South-East.

Eze Wogu explained that when the movement resubmitted its memo to the National Assembly, the governor played a key role by permitting all constitutionally required signatories to endorse the document.

According to him, “Yes, Governor Otti is in support of the creation of Aba State. When we resubmitted our memo to the National Assembly, there was need for the councillors, chairmen of local governments and members of the House of Assembly to sign as stipulated by the Constitution of Nigeria. We had to go to the Governor.

“If he wasn’t in support of the creation of Aba State, he won’t have allowed the councillors, chairmen and the Assembly to sign the documents. All of them signed without exception. This singular act tells you that my Governor is fully in support of the creation of Aba State as the sixth state in the South East zone.”

Also speaking, the spokesman of the Aba State Movement and pioneer Attorney-General of Abia State, Theo Nkire, affirmed that Otti’s support is rooted in the quest for fairness within the geopolitical structure.

He said the governor had always held clear views about state creation.

“The Governor has his ideas about state creation, even before he became Governor. He has told us that he is not in support of the creation of more states in Nigeria. But he is in support of the creation of Aba State as the sixth state for the South East zone to make it at par with other geopolitical zones,” he stated.

South-East Must Not Remain At Five States

The spokesman argued that the push for Aba State is driven by the need to correct a long-standing imbalance.

“We are in a different ball game. We are talking of parity. How do you make up for the South East? Must the South East zone continue to have five states while other regions have six and seven?

“Is there any Abia or Igbo man that will say no to a sixth state for the South East zone? There won’t be any. So, our Governor is with us in support of the creation of Aba State. You will soon hear from him. We have fulfilled all requirements for state creation as stipulated in Section 8 of the Nigerian constitution,” Nkire noted.

He urged other groups agitating for new states to rally behind the Aba State project, stressing that Ohanaeze Ndigbo has already adopted Aba State as the region’s collective demand.

Nkire said backing Aba State would strengthen the South-East position in ongoing national conversations about equity, justice and restructuring.