The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has slammed the proposal to create 31 additional states in Nigeria, calling it a political distraction that ignores the country’s pressing economic and security crises. Instead, CHRICED is advocating for the recognition of Abuja as the 37th state to address the marginalization of its indigenous inhabitants.
CHRICED Executive Director, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, criticized lawmakers for prioritizing state creation while Nigerians face hyperinflation, unemployment, and insecurity. He argued that increasing the number of states from 36 to 67 is financially unsustainable and aimed at influencing the 2027 elections.
The group described the proposal as a ploy to boost support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that it would likely be abandoned once campaign season begins. CHRICED also noted that opposition lawmakers are already defecting to the APC, seeing the party as the only path to securing new states.
CHRICED urged lawmakers to focus on corruption, insecurity, unemployment, and electoral reforms instead of expanding government structures. The group also warned Nigerians against allowing the country to slide into a one-party system, calling for active political engagement to hold leaders accountable.
Abuja’s indigenous residents face statelessness, land dispossession, and political exclusion, which full statehood would address. CHRICED maintained that Abuja’s recognition as a state is the only constitutional amendment worth pursuing.
