Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon (retd) on Wednesday said he had more states created to ease the fear of the northern region’s dominance given its size and population.
He stated this during a courtesy visit by the League of Northern Democrats (LND) in Abuja.
“The north’s size and population created significant anxiety among southern regions,” Gowon said. “These fears, if left unaddressed, could have led to the fragmentation of Nigeria.”
He recounted the widespread secessionist sentiments of the era, not only in the South-East but also in the South-West and even parts of the north.
“At one point, people believed the north wanted to secede, just as similar claims were made about the east and the west,” he said.
“This fear of disintegration weighed heavily on me. If we had allowed it, what would we call ourselves today? Separate nations—whether Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, or otherwise.”
The former leader stressed that his advocacy for creating more states was driven by consultations with various political leaders, traditional chiefs and community groups.
These efforts, he explained, were aimed at balancing regional power and fostering a sense of inclusiveness.
“The division of the north into multiple states was a sacrifice made to ensure no single region would overshadow the others,” Gowon said, adding that it was a decision in line with his lifelong belief in prioritising the country over regional interests.
