Governor Nwifuru Backs Creation Of Additional State For South East, Pushes Women Inclusion In Politics

Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has expressed strong support for the creation of an additional state in the South East region to address the imbalance in Nigeria’s geopolitical structure.

Speaking through the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Moses Ije Odunwa, at the South East Zonal Public Hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, the governor said the demand is rooted in equity and fairness.

He noted that the South East remains the only zone with five states, while other zones have six or seven, stressing that this imbalance hampers administrative convenience, economic decentralization, and effective governance.

“The South East has no long speech to make, other than this obvious shortcoming in the balance of the equation. We need that additional state, and that is my number one request. We know the capability of this team to amend the constitution to suit us,” the governor said.

Governor Nwifuru also threw his weight behind women’s inclusion in politics, revealing that the Ebonyi State House of Assembly has already commenced work on legislation to promote female representation.

“I want to assure you that Ebonyi State House of Assembly had already started something on the women inclusiveness. The bill has passed first reading, and it is our commitment to pass that bill,” he stated.

He, however, called for constitutional backing that would mandate political parties to reserve and clearly specify certain constituencies for female candidates.

“There is an experiment we have carried out in Ebonyi… when a particular party tries to obey the women inclusiveness, and at the end, the malesfolk will override the women… If a particular constituency has been designated for women, all the parties should fill women candidates in those constituencies,” he added.

The governor also declared his full support for the creation of state police and other key aspects of constitutional amendment being discussed at the hearing.

The hearing was led by Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review.