A group advocating for the creation of Aba State has said that the demand before the National Assembly is the most economically viable among all state creation proposals currently under consideration.
 
Chairman of the Aba State Movement, HRH Eze Love Wogu, and Secretary-General, Godfrey Ihechinyere Akara, in a statement, argued that throughout Nigeria’s complex history of state creation, the quest for Aba State stands out as a persistent and enduring endeavour.
 
According to the movement, the current pursuit for the creation of Aba state is not a recent, politically motivated demand but a century-long pursuit rooted in a distinct identity. 
 
The group said: “The journey began in 1915 when the British colonial government administratively united the Asa, Ndoki, and Ngwa people into the Aba Division.
 
“The formal political pursuit of autonomy began just over a decade later, in 1927. This long struggle reached a critical milestone in 1983 when the National Assembly, under a democratic government, approved a referendum for the creation of Aba State.”
 
“However, that referendum was never realised due to the military coup of December 31, 1983. Ironically, every other state recommended for creation alongside Aba in 1983—Adamawa, Jigawa, Katsina, Kogi, Taraba, and Enugu—has since been established, leaving Aba as the only unfulfilled recommendation.”
 
According to the movement, “this isn’t simply a demand; it’s a promise that has been repeatedly made and validated but never kept.” 
 
Beyond the historical claim, the movement stated the economic benefits of Aba State. 
 
The region, it said, home to the commercial hub of Aba metropolis and the renowned Ariaria International Market, is a leading centre for leather goods, footwear, and engineering fabrications, serving markets across West and Central Africa.