Senior lawyer and constitutional expert, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has said that only the South East zone deserves the creation of a new state in Nigeria. He argued that most of the existing states are not viable and should not be increased.
Ozekhome made the remarks on Saturday during a “Walk for Wellness” event organised by his law firm, Mike Ozekhome Chambers, in Abuja.
He blamed the country’s poor development on the 1999 Constitution, which he described as “a product of the military” and not reflective of the people’s will. According to him, the current structure gives too much power to the centre, making it more of a unitary system than a true federal system.
“The present constitution is too cumbersome and centralised. The federal government is overloaded with too many responsibilities,” Ozekhome said.
Instead of creating more states, Ozekhome proposed that Nigeria be restructured into six regional governments, each based on the existing geopolitical zones. He said a parliamentary system operating at the regional level would promote competition and development.
“Right now, no state is competing. All of them just go to Abuja to collect money at the end of the month. We’ve become a sharing country that is not baking anything,” he lamented.
He also pointed out that while Nasarawa, Plateau, Sokoto, and Kaduna have rich mineral deposits, Nigeria still depends heavily on crude oil, which is declining in global relevance.
Ozekhome concluded by saying, “The only region that deserves a new state right now is the South East. They are the only geopolitical zone with fewer states than others. Creating one more would bring balance and fairness.”
His comments have added to the growing debate around restructuring, equity among regions, and constitutional reform in Nigeria.
