Agitations for resource control, state police, the creation of new states and local government areas, and increased representation for women in both the National and State Assemblies dominated discussions at the weekend during the public hearings on the review of the 1999 Constitution in the Southern region of Nigeria.
In its submission, the Bayelsa State government, through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Biriyai Dambo (SAN), demanded the creation of 25 new local government areas, in addition to the current eight. Dambo justified this by citing the size and population of existing LGAs, some of which he said comprised more than 150 communities. He maintained that Bayelsa has the financial and administrative capacity to fund the new councils in line with Section 8(3) of the 1999 Constitution, and urged the National Assembly to support the proposal.
He also pressed for broader reforms, including the establishment of state police, electoral and judicial restructuring, and a shift to fiscal federalism.
Under the proposed revenue model, states would retain 60 per cent of revenues generated from their resources, with 40 per cent going to the federal government. According to him, the introduction of state police would enhance internal security and help combat rising crime across the federation.
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Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, echoed the call for constitutional change, describing the Constitution as a living document that must evolve with time to reflect the will and aspirations of the people. He said the people of Bayelsa and the Niger Delta expect a constitution that is equitable, just, and development-oriented. He further decried the historical injustices suffered by the region in the areas of local government distribution and resource allocation, calling for corrective measures in the spirit of fairness.
Also speaking at the hearing, the Director of the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN), Alabo Nengi J. James, submitted a memorandum calling for electoral reform, stronger local government autonomy, and enhanced citizen engagement. The NCSCN's position was backed by over 500 civil society organisations nationwide, and it stressed the need to strengthen democratic institutions and improve development outcomes for the people.
Issues around special seats for women, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and fiscal federalism also featured prominently in the proposals submitted by interest groups from Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states during the hearing in Yenagoa, which served as Centre 'A' for the South South geo-political zone.
The public hearings, organised by the 10th National Assembly, are aimed at gathering inputs from Nigerians as part of efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution. The process had earlier held in the three geo-political zones in the North.
During the South South hearing, the Secretary-General of the Women's Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), Saudatu S. Mahdi, speaking on behalf of women advocacy groups, called for the immediate passage of the bill on reserved seats for women pending before the National Assembly.
She proposed the creation of one additional senatorial seat per state and the FCT exclusively for women, two more seats per state in the House of Representatives, and three extra seats per senatorial district in state legislatures, to be contested by women only.
She argued that the reserved seats should be implemented after the current legislative term ends, and called for constitutional provisions to create special constituencies for this purpose. Mahdi further advocated for a review of the selection process of the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen public confidence in the commission's independence and credibility.
Controversy over proposed Obolo state
Meanwhile, at Centre 'B' in Calabar, which hosted participants from Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers states, debates on state creation dominated proceedings. Proposals were presented for the creation of Obolo, Ogoja, Bori and Atlantic City states.
In a detailed submission, the President General of the Oro-Obolo Peoples' Union, Engr. Ngerebara Sampson Adumu, made a case for Obolo State, citing historical records and legal documents to argue that the Obolo people were indigenous to the area.
He said that communities such as Eastern Obolo, Ibeno, Mbo, Udung Uko, Uruefong Oruko, Okobo, Oron, and Andoni--cutting across Akwa Ibom and Rivers States--with a combined population of over 1.3 million people and significant oil deposits, should form the new state.
He claimed that the creation of Obolo State would correct historical wrongs and unlock the potential of the region.
However, the proposal met resistance from members of the Ibibio ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State. Chief Umoh Ime, representing one of the Ibibio groups, dismissed the Obolo people's claims of indigeneity, describing them as settlers from present-day Rivers State who were allowed to live on Ibibio land.
He warned against ceding any part of Akwa Ibom territory, stating that no inch of Ibibio ancestral land would be released for the creation of Obolo State. Placards carried by protesters at the hearing bore inscriptions such as "No to Obolo State on Ibibio land" and "We won't cede our land to settlers."
Responding to the broader issues raised, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, Kingsley Chinda, who led the session in Calabar, reiterated that the hearings were meant to gather views from citizens on key aspects of the Constitution. He said the aim was to ensure that the Constitution becomes a people-driven document, and noted that memoranda received from stakeholders in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Cross River states would be taken back to the National Assembly for deliberation.
S/East demands rotational presidency, additional state
In the South East, the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, made its case at the zonal hearing for Imo and Abia States. Represented by Barrister Chizoba Iheka, the organisation called for equity and inclusion for the zone, especially in areas such as infrastructure, representation, and governance. It referenced Governor Hope Uzodinma's earlier advocacy for the creation of an additional state in the South East, as well as support for rotational presidency and reforms in the security sector. Ohanaeze also highlighted the underrepresentation of the South East in federal projects, citing railways, airports and federal institutions.
Traditional rulers in the region also participated in the hearing, urging the National Assembly to define constitutional roles for traditional institutions to enable them play a more active role in security and community leadership. They argued that traditional rulers were well placed to address insecurity at the grassroots level and deserved formal recognition in the national governance framework.
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Organised Labour used the opportunity to register its opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment that would move labour issues from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List. Comrade Uche Chikemedu, who spoke for the labour movement, warned that this change could undermine worker protections. He said organised labour was against the decentralisation of industrial relations, minimum wage regulation, and other core labour matters.
S/West push for state police, others
Stakeholders at the South West zonal Centre 'A', however, called for true federalism, state police, and devolution of power, among others, to shape Nigeria's democratic system.
The stakeholders from Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo States made the request in Lagos during the exercise.
The stakeholders, including governors, while acknowledging the challenges involved in the constitution review process, urged the committee to be fair and dwell on facts, not sentiments.
Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, emphasised the need for state policing to ameliorate insecurity faced in different parts of the country.
South West Conference of Nigeria Speakers, while supporting the demand, stressed that the role of traditional rulers should also be captured in the constitution of the country.
The Nigeria Labour Congress demanded that it remain in the exclusive list, while other groups in their requests called for women's inclusion, state creation, and local government autonomy.
