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Difficulty: EasyThe Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970)

Which of the following was the primary political objective of General Yakubu Gowon's creation of twelve states in May 1967, just prior to the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War?

  1. To weaken the eastern region's secession attempt by granting self-determination to minority ethnic groups within the regionAnswer
  2. B
    To implement a confederal arrangement where regional governments held sovereign authority over the central military government
  3. C
    To dismantle federalism permanently and replace it with a centralized unitary system
  4. D
    To transfer executive authority and revenue allocation powers exclusively to local government councils

Answer

To weaken the eastern region's secession attempt by granting self-determination to minority ethnic groups within the region
General Yakubu Gowon promulgated the decree creating twelve states on May 27, 1967, primarily to undermine the political unity of the Eastern Region on the brink of secession. By splitting the East into the East-Central State and two minority-dominated states (Rivers and South-Eastern States), the federal military government gained the political alignment of eastern minorities, neutralizing their support for Biafran independence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the May 27, 1967 state creation decree.
General Yakubu Gowon replaced the four regions with a twelve-state structure immediately before the outbreak of the civil war.
Identifying the political tension between the Federal Military Government and the Eastern Region clarifies the objective of the decree.
2
Determine the impact of state creation on regional politics.
Dividing the Eastern Region into East-Central, Rivers, and South-Eastern states separated non-Igbo minority areas from the central secessionist leadership.
Granting states to minorities satisfied their long-standing demands for autonomy and weakened the political unity of the secessionist movement.

Key Concept

State Creation as a Political Strategy in the Nigerian Civil War
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

The Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970)

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