A bill seeking to create a new state from Oyo State has crossed its second hurdle in the House of Representatives.
The proposed law, sponsored by Abass Adigun, who represents Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East federal constituency, aims to amend the 1999 Constitution to carve out Ibadan State from Oyo.
It passed second reading during Thursday’s plenary session.
Leading the debate, Adigun said Ibadan, once capital of the old Western Region, deserves its own state just like Enugu and Kaduna that became states decades ago.
He called the proposal a “monumental step toward equitable development through federalism and the realisation of the long-held aspiration of the people of Ibadan.”
According to him, Ibadan has both the population and landmass to stand alone, insisting that “one local government in Ibadan is bigger than three local governments in Bayelsa State.”
His comment quickly drew a reaction from Obuku Ofurji, representing Yenagoa/Opokuma federal constituency, who described it as “irrelevant and disrespectful.” Adigun later apologised but maintained that his claim was factual.
Growing agitation for new states
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary, referred the bill to the Committee on Constitutional Review for further scrutiny.
It joins a list of fresh proposals demanding the creation of new states across the federation.
Last month, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Rashidi Ladoja, made a direct appeal to President Bola Tinubu for Ibadan State before 2027 — a request he repeated during his coronation as the 44th Olubadan.
A difficult road to statehood
Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution makes state creation a steep process. Section 8(1) demands that any new state must first win the approval of two-thirds of lawmakers representing the area in the National Assembly, the state House of Assembly, and the affected local governments.
After that, a referendum must be conducted and approved by two-thirds of voters in the proposed area. The result must then be endorsed by a majority of all states in the federation before final approval by two-thirds of both chambers of the National Assembly.
Despite hundreds of proposals since 1999, not one new state has been created in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
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