Oluwole Oke, the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Osun State, is proposing a bill seeking the creation of three additional states in the South-West region.
The bill, which has been listed for presentation in the House of Representatives, is seeking the creation of Oke-Ogun, Ijebu and Ife-Ijesa states.
The proposed legislation is titled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)”.
It seeks an amendment to the First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution to read, “The First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution is amended by introducing new states and reducing the number of local government areas.”
In the draft bill, Oke-Ogun State with Iseyin as the proposed capital city would be made up of 12 local government areas, including Olorunsogo, Irepo, Oorerelope, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Saki-East, Saki-West, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola and Iseyin.
On the other hand, Ijebu State, when created, will comprise Ijebu East, Ijebu North-East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Ogun Waterside, Remo North and Sagamu LGAs. The proposed capital city for Ijebu State is Ijebu Ode.
According to Oke, who chairs the House Committee on Judiciary, Ife Ijesa State is to be made of 11 LGAs made up of Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Boluwaduro, Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ife South, Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Oboku and Oriade.
In a letter dated February 6, 2024, and addressed to the Clerk of the House, Oke wrote: “I wish to forward the abovementioned bill to your office for further necessary legislative action to enable me to move same in our great Green Chamber, sir.”
The South-West geo-political zone is currently made up of six federating states, which are Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti states.
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If Oke’s bill scales legislative hurdles, 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.
