By Solomon OKPO
Let’s say it plainly: state creation in Nigeria is a scam, at least under the current so-called democratic dispensation. Since the dawn of the Fourth Republic in 1999, successive civilian administrations have paraded state creation as a promise or a political bargaining chip, but never as a deliverable. The historical record is not just clear, it’s damning: not a single civilian government in Nigeria has ever created a new state. Every state in this country from the earliest splits to the most recent additions was carved out under the boot of military regimes.
From General Yakubu Gowon to General Ibrahim Babangida and finally General Sani Abacha, it has always taken the military, not civilians, to redraw the map of Nigeria. One might argue this is because only the military has the power to override the complex political bureaucracy and vested interests that frustrate constitutional amendments. But here lies the contradiction: if democracy cannot deliver structural justice like state creation, then what kind of democracy are we running?
Where Is the Political Will? The 1999 Constitution often described as a military decree dressed in democratic clothing outlines a complex, near-impossible process for state creation. It demands referendums, two-thirds support from the State Houses of Assembly, National Assembly approvals, and presidential assent. This bureaucratic maze appears intentionally designed to stall, not facilitate, structural reform.
Yet, that hasn’t stopped civilian politicians from weaponizing the idea of state creation during election seasons. Campaign after campaign, we hear about “Anioma State,” “Ibibio State,” “Southern Kaduna State,” “Ogoja State” and others. Each cycle ends with the same result: silence after the ballot, as if our aspirations are just tools of manipulation.
Who Are We Fooling? If civilian governments lack the will or courage to create states, let them say so. Or better still, let them admit that this democracy is only democratic in name but military in DNA. What good is a civilian administration if it cannot restructure a nation for fairness, equity, and development? If the constitution has become a stone wall against justice, then leadership should rally to break it down. The current pattern suggests cowardice, not consensus.
The question now isn’t whether more states should be created, it’s whether the democratic structure we operate is even capable of such reform. Is this government truly democratic, or is it simply a continuation of military rule with civilians in agbada?
If democracy is about the will of the people, and the people demand administrative justice through state creation, then why is that will perpetually ignored? The facts speak for themselves: no military regime ever asked for public referendums to create states they simply acted in what they perceived as national interest. Ironically, they did more to restructure Nigeria than any civilian government since independence.
I submit by saying that, until a civilian administration dares to create a state just one, the notion of state creation under Nigeria’s democracy remains a political scam. It’s time to stop pretending. Either we reform the system to reflect the will of the people, or we admit we’re merely passengers in a bus still driven by the shadows of the military era.
The ball is in the court of the current government. If they believe they are truly democratic, they must prove it not in words, but in action.
