The political calculations ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Imo State may be significantly altered if the proposed Anim State becomes a reality, a development that could exclude Orlu zone from the electoral process, at least temporarily.
The proposed state, which is believed to draw from parts of Imo, Anambra and Delta states, is gaining renewed attention amid ongoing conversations around state creation at the federal level.
According to emerging political projections, Orlu zone — which has dominated the Imo governorship for more than 24 years — would exit Imo State if Anim State is created before the next governorship election.
Such an outcome, analysts note, would leave only Owerri and Okigwe zones to contend for the 2027 governorship, fundamentally reshaping the state’s political balance.
The creation of Anim State, however, remains contingent on presidential approval, as only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can ultimately assent to the process, should it scale constitutional and legislative hurdles.
Within political circles, there are speculations that recent infrastructural decisions made by the current Imo State government may be linked to the long-term objective of state creation.
One such development is the Government House Annex built by Governor Hope Uzodimma in Eziachi, Orlu Local Government Area, which some political actors interpret as part of a broader, though unconfirmed, strategic alignment with the Anim State project.
While the Imo State government has not officially linked the project to state creation efforts, the location of the annex has continued to fuel underground political discussions.
Observers argue that if Orlu zone formally exits Imo State before the 2027 polls, the long-debated Charter of Equity — which advocates rotational governorship among Imo’s zones — would face fewer obstacles.
With only Owerri and Okigwe remaining, proponents believe the implementation of the charter would be more straightforward and less contentious.
Speaking on the matter, Ukoha Mbonu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Mbaise, said the possible creation of Anim State could redefine Imo’s political future.
Mbonu noted that Orlu’s departure would automatically resolve decades of agitation over power imbalance and create a clearer pathway for equitable power rotation, adding that political stakeholders must begin to interrogate the implications of state creation on the 2027 contest, even as the proposal remains speculative.
