Among All Agitators from the South-East, We Were the Only Ones Who Clearly Articulated What the South-East Wanted and Consistently Campaigned for the Creation of an Additional State in the South-East
A Statement by the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination (IPINS)
Issued by: Uche Mefor, Convenor, Igbo-Biafra Nationalists and the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination
In the ongoing discourse surrounding the political and constitutional destiny of Nigeria, particularly as it concerns the South-East, it has become imperative to set the record straight. Among the various voices and movements that have emerged from the South-East region over the years—some loud, some fleeting—we, the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination (IPINS), stand distinctly apart. We are the only organised group that has consistently, clearly, and intellectually articulated what the South-East truly wants within the Nigerian framework—and that is the creation of one additional state in the South-East as a matter of equity, justice, and constitutional balance.
While many others have agitated or protested in varying forms—often without clear policy direction or achievable constitutional objectives—our movement, through numerous publications, policy statements, and media engagements, has presented the South-East’s legitimate demand in a structured and legal form. This is exemplified in our earlier publication titled “The Proposed Creation of Additional 31 States in Nigeria Is a Ploy to Scuttle the Legitimate Demand for an Additional State in the South-East,” where we categorically warned that the move by Nigeria’s House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee to create thirty-one new states was a deliberate ploy to overshadow and derail the long-standing and legitimate demand for one additional state for the South-East.
In that publication, we made it abundantly clear that the Igbo Nation’s demand is not arbitrary, nor is it a quest for political favour, but rather a constitutional correction to address the glaring imbalance that has perpetually shortchanged our people since the adoption of the 1999 Constitution. We argued that while every other geopolitical zone in Nigeria comprises six or seven states, the South-East alone has five, thereby institutionalising a systemic injustice that deprives the region of fair representation in the National Assembly, equitable access to federal appointments, and just allocation of national revenue and local government areas.
This imbalance is further highlighted in our subsequent publication titled “The Marginalisation of the South-East (the Igbos) Reached Its Crescendo with the 1999 Constitution.” In that detailed analysis, we illustrated—using verifiable constitutional data—that the South-East’s underrepresentation is not only numerical but also constitutional and structural. According to Section 48 of the 1999 Constitution, each state in Nigeria is entitled to three Senators, making the number of Senators in each geopolitical zone directly proportional to the number of states within it. The South-East, with only five states, consequently has 15 Senators, compared to 18 Senators each in the other five zones and one additional Senator for the FCT.
This disparity extends to the House of Representatives, where the South-East has 43 members, identical to the North-East, yet remains disadvantaged because of its fewer senatorial seats and fewer local government areas—all of which affect national revenue sharing and political leverage. In essence, the 1999 Constitution codified and entrenched a political structure that institutionalised the marginalisation of the South-East, reducing the Igbos—one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa—to a permanent minority status within the Nigerian federation.
We have always maintained, in alignment with both domestic and international law, that Nigeria has a positive and negative obligation under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (CAP 10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004) not to hinder, administratively or legally, the right of any segment of its population to internal self-determination. The deliberate confinement of the South-East to five states—despite its population size and socio-economic contributions—is therefore a violation of the principles of equality, non-discrimination, and self-determination as recognised by international legal instruments and judicial precedents, including the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (2004), which held that Israel was under both negative and positive obligations not to impede Palestinian self-determination.
Against this deeply unjust backdrop, our organisation—the Igbo-Biafra Nationalists and the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination (IPINS)—has not only raised the alarm but also provided a constructive and lawful pathway for resolving this injustice. We have engaged in policy-based advocacy, issued well-researched publications, and called upon the National Assembly and constitutional review bodies to address the imbalance through the creation of one additional state in the South-East as the only meaningful step toward equity and national cohesion.
It is, therefore, both gratifying and historically significant that Senator Ned Nwoko, a distinguished son of Anioma and an enlightened representative of the Igbo-speaking people of Delta State, has stood firmly with us in this principled struggle. Senator Nwoko’s position aligns perfectly with our long-standing advocacy, as he has boldly echoed our demand for the creation of an additional state in the South-East to bring the zone at par with others. His courage, clarity of thought, and unwavering sense of justice deserve the highest commendation.
We sincerely thank Senator Nwoko for standing with the Igbo-Biafra Nationalists and the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination in this noble and legitimate pursuit. His stance reflects not only political maturity but also moral responsibility, proving that genuine leadership is about standing for truth even when it is unpopular. Senator Nwoko’s support has further validated our argument that this demand transcends politics—it is about fairness, justice, and the restoration of the dignity of the Igbo Nation within the Nigerian federation.
We therefore call upon other elected representatives from the South-East, including members of the National Assembly, governors, traditional institutions, and civil society organisations, to rise above partisan divides and align themselves with this just cause. The creation of one additional state in the South-East is not a privilege—it is an inalienable right, a constitutional necessity, and a political imperative for Nigeria’s stability and unity.
In conclusion, history will remember not those who remained silent in the face of injustice, but those who stood firm when fairness was on trial. We reiterate our position: among all the agitators and voices from the South-East, we alone articulated the real and practical demand of the South-East, pursued it within the framework of law and reason, and continue to uphold it as the cornerstone of our collective struggle for equality.
We stand by our cause, and we stand with all who share it—including Senator Ned Nwoko—until justice and parity are achieved.
Signed:
Uche Mefor
Convenor, Igbo-Biafra Nationalists and the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination
