President Bola Tinubu is set to receive a bill proposing Nigeria’s return to regionalism on Friday, June 14.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Substitute the Annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” was authored by Akin Fapohunda, the leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere.
The proposed bill aims to introduce new laws referred to as “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.”
The bill was recently denied consideration by the House of Representatives, with Akin Rotimi, spokesperson for the Green Chamber, stating that it had yet to be scheduled for deliberation.
Despite this setback, Fapohunda disclosed to Punch that the bill would reach President Tinubu’s desk on Friday.
“I’m submitting my letter (draft bill) today, but I will wait for seven days before releasing it to the public,” he said.
Fapohunda, who also represents the Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities, advocates for the country to be divided into eight geo-political regions with provisional boundaries. The proposed regions include:
- Southern Region: Comprising Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Cross Rivers States, optionally including Annang, Effik, Ekoi, Ibibio, Oro Ohaji/Egbema in Southern Imo, and the Adonia, Efemia, Ijaw, Ogoni, Bini, Ishan, Isoko, Urhobo, and Ijaw-speaking people in Northern Ondo State.
- South Eastern Region: Comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.
- Western Region: Including Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Ekiti States, incorporating the Yoruba-speaking people in Kogi and the Igbomina people in Kwara State, with optional inclusion of the Itsekiri people of Delta State and the Akoko-Edo people of Edo State.
- Mid-Western Region: Consisting of Edo and Delta States, possibly incorporating the Anioma people.
- Eastern Middle Belt Region: Comprising Northern Cross River, Southern Kaduna, Southern Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Taraba States.
- Western Middle Belt Region: Comprising Southern Kebbi and parts of Kwara and Niger States.
- North Eastern Region: Made up of parts of Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, and Yobe States.
- North Western Region: Comprising Kaduna and parts of Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara States.
Fapohunda believes that this regional restructuring will address various socio-political issues and foster a more equitable governance model for Nigeria.
