India was a very large country made up of Muslims and Hindus.
The country has always been there until there arose mutual suspicion among the two main groups.
Then India decided to divide into two: One side became Pakistan while the other remained India.
Later, there was distrust again in Pakistan and Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan.
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh became independent countries without a single gun being fired.
Czechoslovakia was one country, a big country.
There arose mutual distrust among them and one day, the country decided to break.
Czech republic became a new republic while Slovakia became another republic.
No single gun was fired.
USSR was one big country.
But just one day, the centre could no longer hold and today, I can't even count the number of countries that pulled out if the Union to form other countries.
Nigeria is made up of different people who have nothing, absolutely nothing similar to each other, and they were forced to remain together.
In 1967, Ojukwu tried to lead the South East away from Nigeria but the Nigerian govt stopped it.
Isaac Adaka Boro tried to declare the Niger Delta Republic and the Nigerian govt crushed him.
In 1967, Awolowo said that he will declare Oduduwa Republic but after Ojukwu declared his, he developed cold feet and did an about turn.
Those were years ago.
In this decade, both the MASSOB and the IPOB are leading the Igbos to declare a sovereign state of Biafra. The IPOB is asking for a referendum and calling for a boycott of all elections in the South East until a referendum is done.
As expected, some Yorubas and yoruba groups are calling for Oduduwa Republic again.
Today, different Niger Delta militants are rallying around each other, mobilising in preparation to the October 1 declaration of the Niger Delta Republic.
The Middle belt have already said that if Nigeria break, they will abandon the north.
It appears that no one wants to remain in Nigeria.
No one, except the north.
The north alone, and some Yorubas who are benefitting from the system, still want to remain with Nigeria.
Section 1 of the Nigerian Constitution is to the effect that Nigeria is indivisible.
Some persons have interpreted this provision to mean that any one who asks for the division of Nigeria is committing treason.
That is not so.
If someone is asking for the division of Nigeria, the person is merely asking for what is unconstitutional, but has not committed a crime.
There is a difference between what is unconstitutional and what is a crime.
If a president leaves Nigeria for a long time without transmitting power to his vice, what he did is unconstitutional but is no crime.
If the police detains a citizens for a period more than 48 hours or 24 hours as the case may be, it is unconstitutional but the police has committed no crime.
By analogous inference and calculation , if a person seeks for the country to be divided so the Niger Delta people shall have Niger Delta Republic, the south east shall have Biafra, the Yorubas shall have Oduduwa etc, the person has committed no crime, but what he seeks is unconstitutional.
Treason is a crime, and treason is levying war against your country, or taking steps to over-awe the president.
It is not the same as asking for a new country.
This country is ripe for a division.
There is mutual distrust in the land.
The north hate the south east with a passion.
The south east wants nothing to do with the north.
Recently, some anti Igbo songs were reigning in the north and this caused tension.
If those that rule Nigeria are intelligent, they would amend the Constitution and allow a referendum to determine who still wants to stay together and who don't.
The way the country is going, soon the military would have different ethnic nationalities to contend with.
The conflict doesn't worth it.
Peaceful division of Nigeria is still possible.
If other countries of the world could separate peacefully, why can't Nigeria?
Why can't Nigeria?