By Julius Afolalu
The Big Move: Is Nigeria Finally Getting It Right?
President Tinubu is doing what no leader has dared in 60 years — restructuring Nigeria into 6 Geo-Political Zones to decentralize power and end the madness of over-centralization. This isn’t just policy. It’s a rescue mission.
For too long, Abuja held all the cards. Now, power is coming home. But before we celebrate, we must ask: Why did regionalism collapse the first time? Because if we don’t learn from 1963, history will repeat itself.
Flashback: Why Britain Created 3 Regions in 1954
This wasn’t random. It came after the Kano Riots — bloody chaos over when Nigeria should get independence.
On 21 May 1953, British Colonial Secretary Oliver Lyttelton stood in the House of Commons and declared:
“The Nigerian Constitution would have to be redrawn so as to PROVIDE GREATER REGIONAL AUTONOMY and for the removal of powers of intervention by the centre in matters which could, without detriment to other regions, be placed entirely within regional competence.”
The goal was simple: REGIONAL AUTONOMY. The North, East, and West ran themselves like mini-countries. Almost independent, but united as one Nigeria. It worked… until politics turned dirty.
The Betrayal That Killed the First Republic
Enter Dr. Michael Okpara. Premier of the Eastern Region. NCNC National Chairman. Ambitious.
In August 1961, fresh from an overseas trip, he dropped a bombshell: the Western Region crisis was bad enough to justify a federal state of emergency.
But colonial administrator Trevor Clark, who served 10 years in Northern Nigeria, called it out:
“Affairs had not reached that point.”
Okpara didn’t care. He exploited the Akintola vs Action Group feud to push for emergency rule in the West. The result? NCNC hijacked the Western Region. Suddenly, the entire South was under NCNC and Igbo political control.
The Unwritten Rule They Broke
Scholar A. H. M. Kirk-Greene nailed it in Crisis and Conflict in Nigeria:
“There had been a manifest violation of the tacit acceptance of the principle of ‘regional security’ whereby each party was quietly left to control its own Region without interference.”
The Lyttelton Constitution was built on trust: You run your region, I run mine. Okpara and the NCNC/NPC coalition shattered that trust. Regional autonomy died. And with it, the First Republic.
The 60-Year Curse That Followed
After killing regionalism, Aguiyi-Ironsi dropped the Unification Decree. Nigeria became a unitary state overnight. One center. All the power. For 60 years.
The result? Stunted development. Ethnic suspicion. A federation in name only. We’ve been paying for 1966 ever since.
2026: Tinubu’s Correction of History
Now, President Tinubu is undoing that 60-year error. The Nigeria Geo-Political Zone Bill 2026 doesn’t take us back to 3 regions. It upgrades us to 6 manageable zones. More representation. Less domination. Real federalism.
Anyone who understands history knows this is monumental. Tinubu isn’t just a president — he’s the first true Nation Builder Nigeria has had since independence. Imperfect? Yes. But excellent? Absolutely.
Your Turn: Don’t Just Read — ACT
We can’t afford another collapse. This reform needs YOU.
Pray for Nigeria. Support the 6 Zones. Defend regional autonomy.
If we get this right, our children will inherit a Nigeria that actually works.
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