A proposal to carve out three new states from the existing six in Nigeria’s South-West region has been listed for presentation in the House of Representatives. The bill, championed by Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke (Osun-PDP), seeks to create Oke-Ogun, Ijebu, and Ife-Ijesa states.
Oke, chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, sees Ife-Ijesa comprising 11 local government areas (LGAs). The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” aims to modify the First Schedule, Part I, introducing the new states and adjusting the number of LGAs.
Currently, the North-West region boasts the most states (seven), with the South-West trailing behind at six (Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, and Ekiti). If passed, Oke’s bill would lead the South-West to the top spot, potentially impacting political representation and resource allocation.
However, the path to the creation of states in Nigeria is laden with challenges. The bill requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of the National Assembly, followed by approval from at least two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly (24 states).
