The chairmen of the nine local government areas in Delta North have distanced themselves from a document purportedly endorsing the creation of Anioma State, alleging that their signatures and official stamps were forged.

Recall that Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, had championed the movement for the creation of Anioma State at a public hearing, presenting a document allegedly bearing the signatures and stamps of the nine Delta North local government chairmen.

However, the chairmen have disowned the document, which has been circulating on social media, stating that none of them has held any private meeting with Senator Nwoko regarding the purported state creation effort.

In a statement made available to Vanguard, the nine local government chairmen in Delta North, emphasized that although they are not opposed to the creation of Anioma State, due process must be followed.

The statement read: “We wish to state unequivocally that we are not in any way against the creation of Anioma State, but due process has to be followed. For the record, we categorically state that we neither saw, reviewed, nor signed the document purporting to support the creation of Anioma State from Delta State. At no time did any of us authorize any member of our management team or any individual to sign such a document on our behalf in our respective councils.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, we emphatically reiterate that we did not authorize any person within or outside our respective councils—whether in Delta North, Delta State, Nigeria, or elsewhere—to act or sign on our behalf. In fact, none of us had prior knowledge of the document until it surfaced in the public domain.”

“As of today, none of us has held any private meeting with Senator Ned Nwoko, who is purportedly championing the movement for the creation of Anioma State. Furthermore, we have never convened or participated in any meeting with Senator Nwoko where the subject of state creation was discussed. At no time did any of us endorse, support, or consent to any document related to this matter.”

The statement continued: “The creation of a new state is a constitutional issue of serious national importance and should neither be conducted by proxy nor shrouded in secrecy or misrepresentation of the people’s interests.”

“While there may be differing views on the proposed Anioma State and the efforts currently being undertaken by Senator Nwoko, we firmly believe that any such process must be rooted in due process, transparency, and broad-based consensus. It must not be pursued through falsehood, coercion, impersonation, or forgery.”

“We urge the general public to disregard, in its entirety, the aforementioned document being circulated by individuals acting with clear mischief and fraudulent intent.”

From our collective official standpoint as Executive Chairmen of the nine local government councils in Delta North, we categorically state that the document is fake, forged, and devoid of any legitimacy or authority. We reject it in its entirety.”

The chairmen further affirmed that they have initiated legal and administrative procedures to investigate and identify those responsible for the forgery of their signatures and official stamps. (Vanguard)