Arewa, Yoruba people reject creation of Apa State, 29 others

Prominent socio-cultural groups, including Afenifere and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), have strongly opposed the proposal to create 31 new states, dismissing it as “ridiculous and unnecessary.”

IDOMA VOICE reports that the proposal for the creation of 30 additional states in Nigeria, currently under review in the National Assembly, with Apa State on the proposed list.

However, Afenifere’s National Organizing Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, has criticized the initiative in an interview with Punch, arguing that it contradicts the group’s advocacy for true federalism.

“Rather than addressing Nigeria’s structural issues, this proposal appears to be a superficial political exercise that will weaken governance and exacerbate economic inefficiencies,” Omololu stated.

Afenifere has consistently called for fiscal federalism, akin to the system Nigeria’s founding fathers envisioned before independence. Omololu emphasized that creating additional states without a sustainable economic framework would only worsen the nation’s financial woes.

“Many states already struggle to generate sufficient Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and depend heavily on federal allocations to survive. Turning every local government into a state will not solve Nigeria’s governance challenges,” he explained.

According to Afenifere, the real issue lies in the centralized federal structure, which hinders regional development. The group urged the National Assembly to prioritize constitutional reforms aimed at devolving power, granting resource control to regions, and allowing states greater autonomy to develop at their own pace.

“Nigeria requires a system where states or regions control their resources and remit an agreed percentage to the federal government, as practiced during the First Republic. Recklessly creating more administrative units is not the path to sustainable development,” Omololu asserted.

Afenifere concluded by rejecting the proposal and urging Nigerians to focus on the larger conversation around restructuring and true federalism.

Similarly, the Arewa Consultative Forum voiced strong opposition to the proposal, describing it as unnecessary and out of touch with Nigeria’s current challenges.