How Obasanjo’s Failed Third Term Bid Prevented Creation Of Sixth South-East State

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, October 13th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Ken Nnamani, former senate president, has stated that the defeat of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term bid in 2006 stopped the creation of a sixth state in the south-east.

African Examiner writes that out of the six geopolitical zones that comprise Nigeria, the south-east is the only zone that has five states: Imo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi.

North-west has seven states while north-east, north-central, south-west and south-south have six states each.

In his newly released book, ‘Standing Strong: Legislative Reforms, Third Term and Other Issues of the 5th Senate’, Nnamani disclosed that the proposal to create the sixth state in the south-east was “thrown out along with the third term proposal”.

The former lawmaker stated that if not for the need to truncate Obasanjo’s bid, the proposal would have fostered a “better geopolitical balance”.

He stated that the institutionalization of rotational presidency was among the other “casualties” of the failed third term bid.

“The defeat of the third term project left several casualties in its wake. Among these were many of the people who stuck out their neck for and against the proposal,” he wrote.

“The excellent proposals in the amendment bill that were thrown out along with the third term proposal and the very important issue of trust in government.

“There were several proposed amendments in the third term bill that would have been of great benefit to Nigeria that became casualties of third term.

“Among these were the proposed amendments to the administration of local governments, the removal of immunity clause from criminal prosecution for political office holders, the insitutionalisation of rotational presidency, provision for independent candidacy and fostering a better geopolitical balance by enabling the creation of a sixth state for south-east.

“In the end, it would seem that the baby was thrown away with the bathwater.”