The House of Representatives is set to consider a bill seeking to create three additional states in the South-West region of Nigeria.
The bill which has been listed to be brought for first reading before the House of Representatives is sponsored by the member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Osun State, Oluwole Oke.
Oke who chairs the House Committee on Judiciary, is proposing the bill seeking the creation of Oke-Ogun, Ijebu and Ife-Ijesa States.
According to a copy of the bill, the proposed bill titled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)” in the amendment of the First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution reads, “The First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution is amended by introducing new states and reducing the number of Local Government Areas.”
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In the drafted bill, Ijebu State when created will include Ijebu East, Ijebu North East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Ogun Waterside, Remo North and Sagamu Local Government Areas. The proposed capital city for Ijebu State is Ijebu Ode.
While Oke-Ogun State with Iseyin as the proposed capital city 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.
Also Ife Ijesa State will be made of 11 LGAs made up of “Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Boluwaduro, Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North and Ife South.
Others are Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Oboku and Oriade.
The Bill according to the lawmaker, is cited as “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Amendment Bill, 2024.”
The bill if is passed, the region would surpass the North-West which currently has seven states, the highest among the other zones of North-Central, North-East, South-West, South-South-South and South-East.
Section 9 (1) of the Constitution states that the National Assembly can only pass an Act to amend the Constitution when its proposal is supported by two-thirds majority of all the members of each chamber (72 Senators and 240 House members) and approved by the resolution of at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly (24 States).
Sections 9 (2) and (3) clearly outline the procedure for amending provisions of the Constitution.
In a letter addressed to the Clerk of the House by Mr Oke dated February 6, 2024 and received same day, titled ‘Submission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Amendment) Bill, 2024,’ the lawmaker wrote, “I wish to forward the above mentioned bill to your office for further necessary legislative action to enable me move same in our great Green Chamber sir.”
The South-West geo-political zone is currently made up of six federating States including Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti States.
The Constitutional Review Committee chaired by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu is slated for inauguration on February 26, 2023.