The Southeast will be first in line if Nigeria creates a new state, that’s according to Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi.
The Senate Deputy Chief Whip, who chairs the Constitution Review Committee for the Southeast, described the region’s situation as a “longstanding zonal imbalance”.
Speaking on ARISE News, he broke down the difficult process of state creation.
“Section 8, sub 1, A to D of the constitution lays down the procedures to be followed when we want to create more states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he explained.
A request must have two-thirds support from representatives at the Senate, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly, and local councils. That is before a referendum where 66% of people in the affected area say yes.
From there, a simple majority of the 36 state Houses of Assembly and a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly must agree, before presidential assent.
Anioma, Adada, Aba, Anim State Requests Not Ignored
Nwaebonyi said over 60 bills have been submitted for new states. Still, “if one state additionally should be created in Nigeria, it must be created from the Southeast region of Nigeria to balance this zonal imbalance.”
Addressing Anioma’s case, which sits between Southeast and South-South identity, the senator dismissed talk of exclusion.
“The zonal hearing I chaired accommodated every interest and request, including that of Anioma… We believe the people of Anioma are Igbos. If you look at their history, cultural practices, and language, they are our brothers,” he said.
He named Adada, Aba, and Anim as other proposed Southeast states that aired their demands.
Local Government Powers and Economic Viability
Nwaebonyi also pushed for removing local governments from the federal constitution.
“Let states have the power to create as many as they can fund… The imbalance—Kano with over 50 LGAs while Bayelsa has only eight—will continue to cause agitation,” he argued.
On whether new states can survive economically, he pointed to leadership, not location, as the key.
“There is no state in Nigeria that doesn’t have one natural resource or the other. In Ebonyi State, we don’t have oil, but we have solid minerals and fertile land. We can do better in agriculture,” he said.
“What Is the Sin of the Southeast?”
The senator dismissed the idea that creating states is political theatre. “If the constitution does not want us to, then Section 8 shouldn’t be there.”
He praised governors like Peter Mbah of Enugu, Alex Otti of Abia, and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi for visible development.
Finally, he asked: “The Northwest has seven states; others have six. What is the sin of the Southeast? It is over time we look at the people of Southeast and treat them equally with other zones of the federation.”
Rate, Like 👍, Comment💬, share this article, Follow us on our social media handles, and Submit your own story to get featured and earn rewards!
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
