24/02/2025
THE SOUTH-EAST COMMITTED TO EXHAUSTING MEANINGFUL AVENUES FOR INTERNAL SELF-DETERMINATION—UNLESS CONTINUED TO BE BLOCKED BY THE NIGERIAN STATE
https://ipins.org/south-east-committed-to-self-determination-unless-nigeria-says-no/
We, the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination, unequivocally reject the proposal by Nigeria’s House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee to create thirty-one new states. While constitutional amendments are essential to address historical imbalances, this sweeping scheme appears to eclipse and undermine our singular, well-established demand for one additional state in the South-East—a just and necessary step toward correcting the longstanding injustice that has left our region with only five states.
For too long, the South-East has borne the brunt of structural inequities. Other regions enjoy six or seven states, translating into more expansive representation, resources, and development opportunities. This lopsided arrangement effectively relegates the South-East to second-class status. The magnitude of creating thirty-one new states raises concerns that our more modest and legitimate request—an additional state to align the South-East with other zones—will be buried under extensive controversy and ultimately abandoned.
Against this backdrop, we call upon our representatives in the National Assembly to remain steadfast in championing the following demands:
1. Creation of an Additional State in the South-East
This is not an arbitrary pursuit; it is a necessary measure rooted in fairness, equality, and balanced representation. Strengthening the South-East ensures true national cohesion and addresses our deep-seated sense of marginalisation.
2. Promulgation of a New Constitution! A thorough review and overhaul of the current constitution are indispensable to rectifying entrenched inequities. Only such decisive reform can guarantee safeguards against the recurrence of systemic discrimination.
3. Greater Autonomy for Every Region in a Regional or Confederal Arrangement! Beyond an additional state, Nigeria must embrace a structure that grants each region substantial control over its own affairs. A regional or confederal model would ensure more effective governance and foster the unique cultural and political aspirations of diverse ethnic nationalities.
4. Legal Action Against Marginalisation! We further call upon the state attorneys-general of each South-East state, in conjunction with our representatives at the National Assembly, to seriously consider initiating court proceedings against the Nigerian state for the gross marginalisation and underrepresentation of the South-East. Such proceedings should also address the systemic discrimination—expressed as Igbophobia—against our people, which constitutes a breach of their fundamental rights and the constitutionally enshrined principle of equality before the law.
The demands above are part of the South-East region’s efforts to achieve robust participation that translates to genuine internal self-determination. However, if all avenues aimed at realising meaningful internal self-determination—and all internal remedies—are exhausted, and the Nigerian government remains unwilling or unable to address these grievances, the Igbo Nation may be left with remedial secession as a last resort.
In voicing these demands, the Igbo Nation remains committed to a united Nigeria anchored in fairness and social justice. Yet, our convictions do not extend to tolerating perpetual second-class citizenship within a system that willfully resists the rectification of clear and persistent injustices.
Should every feasible internal mechanism for achieving our inalienable right to self-determination prove futile—if Nigeria persists in failing to address these deep-seated inequities—the Igbo Nation may have no alternative but to seek its political and economic destiny outside the Nigerian state.
In conclusion, the proposed creation of thirty-one additional states must not be permitted to derail the legitimate and overdue claims of the South-East. We call upon both local and international stakeholders to grasp the gravity of this situation. The quest for national unity cannot be separated from the pursuit of justice—one founded on fairness, balanced representation, and equality before the law.
Uche Mefor is the Convenor of the Igbo-Biafra Nationalists and the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination
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