Since news broke last Thursday from the House of Representatives that Nigerian political elites are requesting for additional 31 states, the media has been buzzing with views of protagonists and antagonists. I was on Radio Now 95.3 FM, Lagos last Friday and Nigerian Television Authority last Monday to discuss the development. Of course, am one of the antagonists of creation of additional states. I hope to marshal my reasons for taking this position in this commentary.
Premium Times newspaper of February 6, 2025 reported that “the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has received 31 state creation requests in the ongoing constitution amendment process. Deputy Speaker and Chairperson of the Committee, Ben Kalu, announced this on Thursday during the plenary session. Mr Kalu said the committee, in line with Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, will proceed with the process for requests that meet the constitutional threshold.”
According to the list, there are seven requests from the North-central. They are Okun, Okura, and Confluence states in Kogi State; Benue Ala, Apa-Agba, and Apa in Benue State; and Federal Capital Territory State. In the South-east, there are five requests: Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu and Aba States. Furthermore, there are four requests from the South-south region, comprising Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, and Ori and Obolo from Rivers State. In the South-west, there is Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, Lagoon State from Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke Ogun/Ife-Ijesha from Oyo, Ogun, and Osun states. In the North-west, the proposed states are New Kaduna and Gurara from Kaduna State, Tiga and Ari from Kano State, and Kainji from Kebbi State. Meanwhile, there are Amana State from present-day Adamawa State, Katagum State from Bauchi State, Savannah State from Borno State, and Muri State from Taraba State.
It is quite unfortunate that all the requests were made via memoranda or Private Member Bills which are not in tandem with laid down constitutional guidelines. Section 8. (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says that “An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new State shall only be passed if – (a) a request supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in each of the following, namely – (i) the Senate and the House of Representatives, (ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and (iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly;”
Subsection (b) says, “a proposal for the creation of the State is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the State originated; (c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the States of the Federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and (d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.” Because the requests did not follow due process, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu said his constitution review committee has given a one-month extension (till March 5, 2025) to those who want to request for state creation to perfect their submission. Suffice to say that no state creation exercise has been successful under a civil rule due to the stringent conditions that have to be met.
Sincerely speaking, these demands are illogical, uneconomical, a mere distraction and not a priority. While the proponents for state creation hinged their requests on marginalisation and discrimination by the dominant ethnic groups and tribes in their present states, there is no guarantee that state creation is the antidote to this. If only there is strict adherence to the provisions of section 14 of the Nigerian Constitution, there should be no more cry of political or economic marginalisation. For instance, subsection one said, “The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a state based on the principles of democracy and social justice.” The question is that, can we in good conscience say that there is social justice in Nigeria?
Section 14(2)(b) says, “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”. Again, is there security and welfare from government to the people of Nigeria? This, as we know is in short supply. Thirdly, subsections 3 and 4 of section 14 of the constitution talk about the need to observe the principles of federal character in the composition of government and its agencies both at the national and subnational level for the purpose of national unity and national loyalty. Unfortunately, we observe this principle in breach as well. That’s why every tribe wants a fiefdom carved for it to preside over.
Have we also thought through the ripple effects of state creation at this time of our national life? Every state will produce its own senators, house of representatives and state houses of assembly members. Ministries, Departments and Agencies will also have to be established. Invariably there will be astronomic increase in the cost of governance. Furthermore, the cost of elections will increase exponentially as the Independent National Electoral Commission will also have to conduct elections into the new senatorial, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly constituencies. I even doubt if the constitutional alteration will be ready in good time for election preparedness of INEC for 2027 as the Electoral Act 2022 has mandated INEC to give Notice of Elections one year ahead of the polls.
Is it not curious that despite the fact that research has shown that only about five out of the current 36 states and FCT can survive without federal allocation, we still deemed it fit to request for additional 31 states? Not a few Nigerians at present believe that given the fact that many of the states are not viable, they should therefore be merged. It is therefore illogical to demand for more states when the existing ones are wobbling and tottering!
Rather than embarking on a wild goose chase of balkanizing the existing states, what should be our priority now is good governance. America, from where we copied the presidential system of government, has only fifty states despite having about 350 million population. It also has 100 senators (two per states) and have a total of 15 secretaries (equivalent of our own minsters). Right now, most states have a budget of 70 to 80 per cent recurrent and merely 20 to 30 per cent capital; how can such states develop? If at all we need to alter the constitution, I will agree to devolution of more powers from the exclusive to concurrent legislative lists. I also will support power rotation among the senatorial districts in the states and among the six geo-political zones at the national level. Truth be told, ordinary citizens of Nigeria are unfazed by the creation of political institutions.
What’s uppermost on their minds is how to fend for themselves and earn a decent living. State creation is a subterfuge from the powerful political elites to feather their own nest. It should be turned down by the people!
X: @jideojong
