Since the Midwest area was established in 1963, no civilian government has been able to establish a state.
By military decree, many military dictators established each state.
A referendum and a series of intricate measures are required before a state can be established under the constitution.
According to some analysts, the process is nearly too complicated to create a state.
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A lawyer named Kelechukwu Eni-Otu told Newsmen that before introducing measures to create new states, lawmakers must take into account the intricate ethnic identities that exist in Igbo territory.
According to him, identity crises may prevent the creation of Anioma State, which would have moved from current Delta State to the Southeast to balance the region, since many people in Delta might not want to fully identify as igbo.
“I have a problem with identity crisis. Some residents of Delta State and other parts of the South-South region might not wish to be totally classified or assigned as Igbo.
Therefore, in a phone interview with Newsmen, Mr. Eni-Otu, a principle partner at the Law Corridor, said, “creating a state from that region may require a thorough referendum to make the decision.”
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Instead, he said, a sort of quasi-referendum could be held to find people that share a common culture and desire to become a state.
“There would be a need for the legislator to conduct a quasi-referendum to determine those that have concise similarities in culture, attitude, and language for a possible creation along that line. It is quite complex in a constitutional democracy,” he said.
A referendum is one of the conditions specified in the 1999 constitution for the creation of a state.
According to Section 8 of the constitution, a state must be founded “by a request, supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in each of the following, namely:”
(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives;
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(ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and
(iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly;
(b) a proposal for the creation of the State is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for the creation of the State originated;
(c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the States of the Federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and
(d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.”
As it stands; the squabble may threaten the creation of the extra state despite the general consensus on the need for it.
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