The present structure of Nigeria into six geo-political zones was introduced into the polity in substitution to the pre-Nigerian Civil war regional government. The geo-political zones which are yet to be captured in the nation’s constitution include the south East, South South and South West in the Southern Nigeria, and the North Central, the North East and North West in the northern Nigeria, despite the existing 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The essence of the geo-political zonal system was hinged on such factors as to enhance easy identification of geographical areas, access to political permutations/calculations, promote equality and power balance among nationalities/tribes considering the complexity of the country. But anticipating that the geo-political zonal structure may be entrenched in the forth coming new constitution, it is pertinent to have the states appear under their respective geo-political zones.
However, each of the six zones with the exception of the South East and North West has six states not withstanding that FCT Abuja which enjoys the “status of a state” as provided in sections 299 and 301 of the 1999 constitution(as amended) is located within the North Central zone. It is worthy of note that when the city of Marina in Lagos State was the nation’s former seat of power (FCT),Marina was not accorded the status of a state of the federation irrespective of large size of the area. The South East zone has only five States while North West prides itself with seven, being the only zone with highest number of states in Nigeria. And because each state of the federation is divided into three senatorial districts, the South East with five states has 15 senatorial districts. This is a sharp contrast to the 18 senatorial districts possessed by each of such zones as South South, South West, North East and North Central, even though there is one senatorial district for the FCT Abuja. The North West then with seven states controls 21 senate seats in the National Assembly.
The situation in Nigeria is that number of states per geo-political zone is the major determinant factor for distribution of Federal appointment/employment, development projects and of course the usual sharing of Federation account. This scenario therefore makes every segment of the political horizon target, hence the present composition in the House of Representatives, local government areas, states house of assembly even as the Nation’s population is not left out. In view of this, the South East occupies 45 positions in the House of Representatives with 94 local government areas when the South South and South West respectively has 55 and 71 federal constituencies, 123 and 137 councils. There are 50 federal constituencies and 119 local government areas in the North East while the North West maintains 90 seats in the House of Reps. and 180 councils. But the North Central with 115 local government areas has 49 federal constituencies obviously, outside the F CT’s two federal constituencies and six local government areas (area councils). Acknowledging that the FCT which is located within the North Central zone participates on issues pertaining to the states of the federation as one of the states including sharing of the statutory allocations from the federation account, it can then be deduced that North Central zone has 19 senatorial districts, 51 federal constituencies and 121 local councils. Then it means by interpretation that Nigeria has 37 states with 20 in the North leaving 17 states in the South.
Nigeria has 109 senatorial districts and 360 federal constituencies out of which the northern region poses with 58 senators and 191 federal house members ceding 51 senate seats and 169 federal constituencies to the Southern region. Also, out of 774 local governments in the country the North holds 420 while 354 councils are located in the southern Nigeria. This pertinacious injustice inflicted on the South East zone as a matter of self composition remains a mind bugging issue. A thousand and one questions raised over the imbalance in the number of states, reasons orchestrating the continued materialization of the Igbo ethnic group (South East) by the Nigerian government have remained unanswered. What actually happened to the one state which should have been created in the South East to bring the number in this zone at par with other zones that have six states? Could it have been that seventh states allotted to the North West? But if that is so, when has it become an Heavenly injunction to rob Saint Paul for Mallam Yusuf to be settled? The right of the people of the South East zone to enjoy equal number of states like people from other zones in Nigeria is guaranteed by Section 17 of the 1999 constitution. It starts in subsection (2a) that, “every Citizen (of Nigeria) shall have the quality of rights, obligations and opportunities before the law.” Therefore, denying the people of the South East Zone the right and opportunity to have equal number of states like other zones amounts to a deliberate breaching of the nation’s constitution, despite that it is another poly crafted to bruise the psyche of the Igbos.
Similarly, section 42 of the constitution protects the citizens of the South East just like citizens of other zones. Sub-section (1a) said that a citizen of Nigeria of a particular ethnic group or any tribe shall not by any reason of being such “be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are made subjects”. Also sub section 1b of this section warns against ceding the would have been one state share of the South East to the North West zone thus, that no citizen of Nigeria of a particular ethnic group or area shall by reason of being such a person “be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, religions or political opinions”
It is even worrisome that the nation’s legal luminaries mutely watch the Government flagrant abuse of the laws of the land. But most disgustful is the lackadaisical posture the political leaders and sound lawyers from the South East have chosen over the continued violation of the rights of the citizens of this zone by the Nigerian Government. The people of the South East are restricted from having equal number of states as applicable to others zones in Nigeria simply because they are of Igbo ethnic group in utter violation of section 42 (1a) of the constitution. And for the North West to have seven states which other zones do not have shows that the Nigerian Government is giving people of the North West the privilege and advantage not enjoyed by people from other zones. With regard to the provisions of sections 15 (2), 17 (2a) and 42 (1a and 1b) of the constitution, South East ought to have equal number of states like other zones. Equally, North West Zone ought not have more states than what each of the geo-political zones has. Therefore, the only way to eliminate this satanic inequality is to have one additional state created in each of the zones as, South South, South West, and North east, while two new States should be created in the south east just to bring them at par with the North West and North central number of states. Recall that the FCT as one of the States is located in the North central zone.
It is very disheartening that requests by the South East people for creation of one additional state for the zone saw other zones including North West demanding for creation of about 150 new states in the country. This is another plot to confuse and distort the system to make sure Igbos do not have their legitimate rights in Nigeria “having been defeated in a war”, or plans by the authorities to reduce the Igbo to a minority tribe. The constitution review Committee of the National Assembly may have foreclosed the issue of state creation. Unfortunately, this is happening where the deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, and Deputy Speaker, House of Reps. Emeka Ihedioha, being sons of the South East zone are chairmen of the constitution review committee of both chambers on whose desks lay the south east applications on state creation for the zone.
