The referendum's management and its likely centrifugal consequences on Ethiopia's system of ethnic federalism were seen as a crucial test for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's policy of democratic openness ahead of the 2020 general election.

The latter choice got a tiny percentage of votes, an expected result given the popularity of the decades-long statehood quest among the Sidama and the lackluster campaigning by the SNNPR.

However, it was addressed when the regional council decided that the SNNPR government would stay in Awasa for two consecutive election terms, during which it would facilitate its future capital city.

The Sidama Region officially began on 18 June 2020, seven months after the referendum.

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