Abacha creates six more states

On October 1, 1996, General Sani Abacha announced the creation of six additional states during Nigeria's Independence Day celebrations, bringing the total from thirty to thirty-six states. The new states were Bayelsa (carved from Rivers), Ebonyi (from Enugu and Abia), Ekiti (from Ondo), Gombe (from Bauchi), Nasarawa (from Plateau), and Zamfara (from Sokoto). This represented the largest single expansion of states since the military government of Ibrahim Babangida created nine states in 1991.

The creation followed sustained pressure from various communities seeking their own states for better representation and resource allocation. Many groups had submitted petitions arguing that existing states were too large to effectively serve diverse populations, while others sought to escape perceived marginalization within existing state structures. The timing coincided with Abacha's broader political transition program, as he sought to build legitimacy and support across different regions while managing growing demands for democratic governance and local autonomy.