Group Demands Total Regional Autonomy, Constitutional Safeguards

A Benin City-based socio-political group, God and People Prayer Parliament (GAP-Parliament), has called on the National Assembly to adopt total regional autonomy as part of the ongoing constitutional review, arguing that only a truly devolved governance structure can address Nigeria’s political, economic and administrative challenges.

In a statement issued in Benin City, the Edo state capital, the group’s Publicity Secretary, Dr Dele Oluwatade, said the proposed regional arrangement before the National Assembly should grant regions full powers to administer their internal affairs, including the creation and management of states without interference from the central government.

Oluwatade argued that the reported proposal for 42 states under a six-region structure would only deepen governance costs and bureaucracy, insisting that states should remain the exclusive responsibility of the regions.

“There is no need for the Constitution to determine how many states a region should have. That is an interference with the political and territorial integrity of the regions,”he said.

Oluwatade maintained that reducing the number of states would significantly cut political and administrative overheads, freeing more resources for development.

He suggested that Nigeria should consider reducing the number of states to 12, saying the country currently operates an expensive governance structure that diverts scarce resources to recurrent expenditure instead of development.

The group also urged the National Assembly to divide the present South South geopolitical zone into two autonomous regions, proposing the restoration of the old Midwestern Region alongside a separate Niger Delta Region.

Oluwatade said the existing South South configuration is geographically disadvantaged and would function more effectively if restructured into two viable regions.

He further called on lawmakers from the South South, including Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, as well as members of the House of Representatives from the zone, to champion the proposal during the constitutional amendment process, describing it as necessary for balanced regional development.

The GAP-Parliament spokesman also insisted that any return to regional government must be backed by constitutional safeguards, including referendum, exit and intervention clauses which he said were omitted during the First Republic and contributed to its collapse.

He argued that clear constitutional boundaries would prevent undue interference by the federal government in regional affairs and promote political stability.

While commending President Bola Tinubu for pursuing constitutional restructuring, Oluwatade urged the National Assembly to seize the opportunity to establish a genuine federal system founded on regional autonomy, fiscal responsibility and constitutional protections capable of guaranteeing lasting national unity and sustainable development.