Politics

Constitutional Amendment: Governor Otti Rejects Creation of New States

Published by Tope Fakinlede on July 21st, 2025.

Constitutional Amendment: Governor Otti Rejects Creation of New States

the constitutional review public hearing held in Owerri, Abia State Governor Alex Otti voiced his opposition to the push for the creation of new states. While acknowledging that such demands are often dAtriven by feelings of marginalization, he cautioned that adding more states could place further pressure on Nigeria’s already overstretched finances and complicate its governance system.

“Unless we identify sustainable, independent funding sources for any proposed states, I don’t believe this path will serve the country’s best interest,” Otti remarked.

Instead of redrawing state lines, the governor called for more inclusive governance approaches that ensure fair representation and participation of all ethnic groups within the current state structure.

However, Governor Otti strongly backed the establishment of state-level police forces, describing it as an urgent and necessary step for national security. He argued that the centralized policing model has consistently failed to protect communities and called for clear guidelines around recruitment, accountability, and coordination with federal law enforcement.

Otti also threw his support behind increasing the number of legislative seats reserved for women at both state and national levels. He stressed, however, that this move must go hand-in-hand with reforms within political parties to avoid scenarios where male interests are simply fronted by female figures, thus undermining the intent of gender representation.