Kehinde Fajobi
Chief Bode George, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, has strongly opposed the creation of 31 additional states in Nigeria, labelling the idea unsustainable and ineffective in addressing the country’s issues.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, George argued that creating more states would not resolve Nigeria’s structural challenges or promote meaningful development.
His remarks came in response to a recent proposal by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Benjamin Kalu, who revealed that the House had received suggestions for 31 new states.
The proposed new states include those from all six geopolitical zones, with notable recommendations such as Okun and Okura in Kogi, new states in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, and others in the South East and South West.
However, George dismissed the proposal, stating, “Don’t tell me we should create more states. Forget about more states. We want to create more states, and then everybody will be rushing to Abuja. This is not sustainable.”
He called for a focus on restructuring Nigeria’s federal system instead. George pointed out that the current structure is flawed, citing the United States as an example where local leaders have significant powers.
“Let us look at our federal structure first, the same federal system we run with America. Why are we not running it as they run theirs?” he asked.
Drawing comparisons, he noted that in the US, local leaders control vital assets, such as airports and oil companies, rather than the central government.
He also advocated for state police, arguing that true federalism should grant more power to states.
George further criticised Nigeria’s current constitution, calling it dysfunctional due to excessive centralisation of power.
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“The present constitution is not working. There is too much power at the centre, leaving states and local governments helpless and incapacitated,” he stated.
He urged the federal government to revisit the 2014 National Conference recommendations as a path to address Nigeria’s governance challenges, suggesting that devolution of power would unlock the country’s development potential.
“Nigeria is endowed with abundant resources across all regions… The constitution of this country is not right. We need to revisit it and allow all those states to manage their resources,” he concluded.