Amid renewed debate over proposals to create 30 new states in the country, former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has described the paradox of persistent statehood agitations as a “good omen for national unity.”
He argued that such demands reflect citizens’ underlying loyalty to a unified Nigeria despite systemic governance failures.
The House of Representatives recently announced the receipt of 31 proposals for new states, which, if approved, would expand Nigeria’s administrative map from 36 to 67 states.
However, Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu cautioned that none of the proposals currently meet constitutional requirements under Section 8, which mandates two-thirds legislative approval at federal and state levels.
Okechukwu, a foundation member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in a statement on Sunday, acknowledged the legal challenges but emphasized the symbolic significance of the demands.
“The agitators are teaching us hard lessons to reconsider our disloyalty to our dear country,” he said, framing the calls as a rebuke to ethnic and regional divisions.
He noted that despite Nigeria’s history of state creation—from 3 regions in 1946 to 36 states in 1996—many communities remain underdeveloped, fueling grievances.
“Nigerians are voting for unity by rejecting divisive populism,” Okechukwu argued. “Their cries for states are, ironically, a plea for equitable development and good governance, not fragmentation.”
Okechukwu praised President Bola Tinubu’s recent reforms, including financial autonomy for local governments and the establishment of six regional development commissions, as “alternative constitutional avenues” to address marginalization.
The APC leader maintained that, “Grassroots development is the fastest route to Nigeria’s risorgimento [revival], not more states,” he asserted, urging vigilance against corruption in managing local funds.
Addressing the point stated by Deputy Speaker Kalu who reinforced that none of the 30 proposals received have met the requirements of Section 8, Okechukwu conceded the point but stressed that the agitators’ “food for thought” should redirect focus to accountability. “Our task is to ensure snakes don’t swallow funds meant for local communities,” he quipped.
