Advocates for Anioma State argue the proposed creation would address a constitutional imbalance that has left the Southeast as Nigeria's only geopolitical zone with five states, while others possess six or seven. Senator Ned Nwoko has revitalized this decades-old campaign, mobilizing lawmakers and traditional institutions to carve nine local government areas from the Delta North Senatorial District. Supporters emphasize that residents of the region share Igbo cultural and linguistic identity despite colonial-era boundaries drawn along the River Niger separating them from the Southeast.
Proponents highlight Asaba's existing infrastructure, including an international airport and government facilities, as evidence that the territory requires minimal development costs compared to alternative proposals. The movement traces its origins to the 1954 protests against placement in the Western Region. Advocates contend state creation would provide symbolic healing from civil war atrocities, particularly the 1967 Asaba Massacre, while expanding political representation through additional legislative seats and federal allocations for communities spanning Aniocha, Ika, Ndokwa, Oshimili and Ukwuani territories.
Proponents highlight Asaba's existing infrastructure, including an international airport and government facilities, as evidence that the territory requires minimal development costs compared to alternative proposals. The movement traces its origins to the 1954 protests against placement in the Western Region. Advocates contend state creation would provide symbolic healing from civil war atrocities, particularly the 1967 Asaba Massacre, while expanding political representation through additional legislative seats and federal allocations for communities spanning Aniocha, Ika, Ndokwa, Oshimili and Ukwuani territories.
