Warri as Delta’s Potential Capital Gains Akpabio Backing for Anioma State

Published: 28 March, 2026

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has thrown his weight behind a plan to carve Anioma State out of Delta. The catch? Warri as Delta’s potential capital is the central trade. Akpabio declared this during the APC South-South Zonal Congress in Asaba on March 25, 2026, as Premium Times reported. With that, a decades-old demand landed squarely on the 10th National Assembly’s desk, carrying implications that would fundamentally alter the identity of the existing Delta State.

A Political Promise Decades in the Making

This agitation started in the 1990s. The argument is simple: the current Delta State, with its 25 local government areas, is too big. The proposed Anioma State would take the Igbo-speaking Delta North Senatorial District. According to a 2025 Vanguard report, what remains, Delta South and Central, would form a new, smaller Delta State. Its proposed capital? Warri. For residents of Asaba, the current capital, this prospect raises concerns about the future of a city that has grown into a thriving administrative and commercial hub over decades.

Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North) formally presented the Anioma State creation bill in June 2024, making him the primary sponsor. Akpabio framed his support constitutionally. He pointed to the work of the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, who leads the committee reviewing the 1999 Constitution. But there is a catch. Creating a state requires a local referendum, a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, and approval from 24 state legislatures, The Nation noted in March 2026.

“The request for the creation of Anioma State is a valid one. I am in support of it. The Deputy President of the Senate is already working on the issue of state creation as part of the constitutional review.” – Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate, March 2026 (Premium Times).

The Economic Logic Behind Warri as Capital

Why Warri? The logic is economic. The city is the commercial engine of the south. It hosts the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company and is a major oil and gas hub. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics is clear: the Delta South district, where Warri sits, contributes over 40% of the state’s revenue (NBS, 2025 Q4 Report).

Moving the capital from Asaba in the north to Warri would place the government nearer the money. But Asaba is in the proposed Anioma territory. This brings us to the cost. A 2025 BusinessDay report showed the Delta government budgeted N15 billion for capital projects in Asaba. Building a new government seat in Warri would demand a similar, if not larger, investment, resources that some argue could be better used for development across the existing state.

The Constitutional Hurdles Are Immense

Akpabio’s support gives momentum. The trouble is the constitution. Section 8(1) of the 1999 Constitution sets a brutal path. First, the request must be supported by a two-thirds majority of members representing the area in the Senate, House of Representatives, State Assembly, and Local Government Councils.

Second, a referendum must be approved by at least two-thirds of the people in the area where the demand originated. This means the people of Delta North, and indeed the broader Delta population, would have the final say. Third, the new state must be approved by a simple majority of all State Houses of Assembly (at least 24 states). Finally, it requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. No new state has been created since 1996, when General Sani Abacha formed Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Zamfara. Every democratic attempt has failed on these terms, suggesting the high bar is intentional.

“The issue of state creation is on the front burner. The committee is collating all requests, including that of Anioma. We are committed to a thorough and fair process.” – Barau Jibrin, Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, February 2026 (The Guardian).

Stirring the Pot of Niger Delta Politics

This proposal reshuffles the political deck. Senator Ned Nwoko is pushing for Anioma to become the 6th state of the South-East, addressing the regional imbalance where the South-East currently has five states. In the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) context, adding Anioma would increase membership from the current nine states (Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, Rivers) to ten. It also creates a new, predominantly Igbo state in the South-South.

Wait, it gets more complex. Current Delta State power rotates among Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Igbo groups. Making Warri the capital of a smaller Delta State consolidates power in the Urhobo and Itsekiri south. Some analysts warn this could spark tensions with the Ijaw in the riverine areas. The politics of the 13% oil derivation fund, confirmed by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission in 2025, adds another layer. For many Deltans, the fear is that a divided state would weaken the collective bargaining power that currently amplifies the region’s voice on national matters.

What a Capital Move Would Mean for Warri

For Warri residents, this brings hope. The city has decayed for years despite its economic weight. Becoming a capital would flood the city with government ministries and personnel. It would boost real estate. It would pressure the government to fix roads, power, and water.

But there is a catch. Governance in Nigeria moves slowly. You need more than a designation. You must build government houses, legislative complexes, and quarters for civil servants. A 2025 Punch report noted that relocating a capital takes years and huge money, just as Lagos found moving from Lagos Island to Ikeja. For Asaba, which has invested heavily in its status as the capital, the prospect of losing that designation raises questions about what becomes of the infrastructure and institutions built over a generation.

The Road From Here

Next, the Senate Committee on Constitution Review takes over. It must consolidate over 20 state creation requests from across Nigeria. Public hearings will follow. Then comes drafting amendments. The National Assembly‘s own schedule pushes this timeline to late 2026 at least.

Success hinges on a national bargain. Lawmakers from other regions must back Anioma to get support for their own interests later.. Akpabio’s endorsement, from a former South-South governor, carries serious weight in those backroom talks, though it remains to be seen whether the people of Delta will embrace a proposal that fundamentally alters the state they have built together.

Track the Committee’s Public Hearings

The process includes public hearings. Citizens can submit memoranda or attend. The schedule is published on the National Assembly digital platform and in newspapers. It is the most direct way to influence the outcome.

Local politics in Delta will now intensify. Expect lobbying, town halls, and media campaigns. The stance of the Delta State Governor and the state legislature becomes critical. Their support, or opposition, can make or break this long before any national vote. For many in Delta, the coming months will be a time to weigh the costs of division against the promise of new states.

Akpabio’s declaration has transformed Warri as Delta’s potential capital from a local issue into a national one. It ties the fate of the city to constitutional amendment and state creation. The path from an endorsement to a new capital in Warri is long. It is expensive. It is deeply uncertain. For the people of Asaba and the broader Delta community, the question is whether the cost of restructuring outweighs the value of the state they already have.

NDDC Unveils New Governance Structure at 2026 Management Retreat – The Niger Delta Development Commission discusses its reform agenda, providing context for the region’s development and political landscape. (Digital Illustration: GoBeyondLocal)