A proposal for the creation of three additional states in the South-West region has been introduced in the House of Representatives, sponsored by Oluwole Oke, the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in Osun State.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” aims to establish Oke-Ogun, Ijebu, and Ife-Ijesa states. It seeks to amend the First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution by introducing new states and reducing the number of local government areas.
According to the proposed legislation, Oke-Ogun State, with Iseyin as the suggested capital, would consist of 12 local government areas. Ijebu State, with Ijebu Ode as the proposed capital, would include eight local government areas, while Ife-Ijesa State would be made up of 11 local government areas.
In a letter dated February 6, 2024, addressed to the Clerk of the House, Oluwole Oke expressed his intention to move the bill in the House and forwarded the document for necessary legislative action.
The South-West currently has six states, and if the bill is approved, it would surpass the North-West as the region with the highest number of states in Nigeria.
For the bill to become law, it must pass through the legislative process, requiring the support of two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the approval of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly.
The National Assembly is currently in the process of amending the constitution, and the Constitutional Review Committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, is set to be inaugurated on February 26, 2023, as part of the 10th Assembly’s Legislative Agenda.