Discordant tunes over 6 geo-political zones

Nigeria’s regional groupings, lawyers and civil societies have differed on whether or not to include the six geo-political zones in the constitution. The Ohaneze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Afenifere, senior lawyers and civil societies expressed their views in separate interviews with Daily Trust.

Second Republic Vice President Alex Ekwueme propounded the principle of the six-geo-political system during the 1994 Constitutional Conference convoked by late Head of State Sani Abacha.

Ekwueme advocated the adoption of the zones as the federating units among which the presidency would rotate for a five-year-single term.

Such principle should also be applied in the states for the election of governors and local government chairmen.

The six geo-political zones are Northwest, Northeast, North central, Southwest, Southeast and Southsouth. While the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation Afenifere is demanding for the inclusion of the zones as federating units, the ACF is saying the zones constitute a fourth tier of government. The pan-Igbo group, the Ohaneze is asking for restructuring of the nation.

On the other hand, prominent lawyers and civil society organisations believe the geo-political zones serve the purpose of uniting the country and therefore advocate the formalisation of the concept.