A bill advocating for the establishment of three additional states in the South-West region has been scheduled for presentation in the House of Representatives.
Spearheaded by Oluwole Oke, the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in Osun State, the proposed legislation aims to create Oke-Ogun, Ijebu, and Ife-Ijesa states.
Titled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)”, the bill seeks to amend the First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution to incorporate new states while adjusting the number of local government areas.
According to the bill, Oke-Ogun State, with Iseyin as its proposed capital, would consist of 12 local government areas, including Olorunsogo, Irepo, Oorerelope, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Saki-East, Saki-West, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, and Iseyin.
Similarly, Ijebu State is set to include Ijebu East, Ijebu North-East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Ogun Waterside, Remo North, and Sagamu LGAs, with Ijebu Ode as its proposed capital.
Meanwhile, Ife Ijesa State will comprise 11 LGAs, namely Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Boluwaduro, Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ife South, Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Oboku, and Oriade, with a proposed capital in Ife.
In a letter dated February 6, 2024, addressed to the Clerk of the House, Oke forwarded the bill for further legislative action, expressing his intention to present it in the House.
The South-West region currently consists of six states, namely Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, and Ekiti. If the bill is successful, the region will surpass the North-West as the region with the highest number of states.
However, for the bill to pass, it must garner the support of two-thirds majority of all members in each chamber of the National Assembly and receive approval from at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly.
Currently, the National Assembly is in the process of amending the constitution, with the Constitutional Review Committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, set to be inaugurated on February 26, 2023.