The National Assembly is currently considering over 10 bills proposing the creation of new states across Nigeria.
The proposed states include Etiti, Adada, Orlu, Anioma, Coastal, Ijebu, Ife-Ijesa, Oke-Ogun, Tiga, Aba, Njaba, Orash, among others.
The bills, sponsored by various lawmakers, are at different stages of consideration in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, some of which have passed the first reading, while others are awaiting committee review.
In the House of Representatives, lawmakers are currently processing bills seeking to create Etiti, Adada, and Orlu states from the South East Nigeria, as the South East has the least number of states, with five states, while other geo-political zones have six states each, and the North West with the highest number of seven states.
The House had earlier passed for a second reading, a bill seeking the creation of Etiti State out of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states from the South East geo-political zone.
The sponsors of the bill are Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah (Abia), Hon. Miriam Odinaka Onuoha (Imo), Hon. Kama Nkemkama (Ebonyi), Hon. Princess Chinwe Nnabuife (Anambra), and Hon. Anayo Onwuegbu (Enugu).
According to the sponsors, the bill seeks to address a longstanding issue of regional parity and administrative efficiency within the South East geo-political zone. They noted that if created, it would end the feeling of injustice and agitation against marginalization in the area.
Similarly, the House of Representatives at the plenary on May 22nd, 2024, introduced and passed through first reading a Bill which seeks to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to create a new state in the South East, known as Orlu State. The bill was sponsored by the member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, and others.
Furthermore, the bill, seeking to create Aba State, passed first reading in the House of Representatives. It was sponsored by Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, Munachim Alozie, Chris Nkwonta and Ifeanyi Ikwechegh, who made it possible.
In the Senate, a bill for the creation of Adada from the present Enugu State, sponsored by Senator Okey Ezea, representing Enugu North Senatorial District, has also passed the first reading and is pending further legislative action.
Other proposed states include Ijebu State, to be carved out of Ogun State, sponsored by Senator Gbenga Daniel; Anioma State, to be carved out of Delta State, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko; and Coastal State, to be created from Ondo State, sponsored by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.
The Senate is also working on a bill for the creation of Ijebu State, which scaled first reading at plenary session on November 27, 2024. The bill, which seeks to establish Ijebu as an independent state, is sponsored by Gbenga Daniel, Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District in Ogun State.
Similarly, a Bill seeking the creation of a Coastal State out of the present Ondo State has also scaled the first reading at the Senate. The Bill, sponsored by Ondo South Senator, Jimoh Ibrahim, is seeking a constitutional amendment to allow creation of the proposed Coastal State from Ondo State.
Meanwhile, some political analysts have expressed pessimism about the success of the outcome, describing the Constitutional procedures and processes of state creation as cumbersome.
They also expressed fears that the inherent divisive politics being played in Nigeria, would not allow the proposals to succeed.
One of the analysts, Taiye Odewale, who spoke with Sunday Telegraph, said: “As far as I am concerned, all this noise about state creation, is a jamboree and obviously going to end in fiasco. I am not a pessimist. Rather, I am a realist. I don’t usually like to deceive myself in something I already know how it will end.
“Why am I very assertive about the outcome of the proposals for new states creations? One, look at the constitutional requirement; it is very cumbersome. It requires that two-thirds majority of the National Assembly members must support each bill before it can pass into law; else, no way. Then, it further requires two-thirds of the state assemblies to support the bill before it can pass into law.
“Again, Nigerians are still very backward in their reasoning. They are usually very sentimental and not objective. And in Nigeria, the sentiment of religion, region and tribe are very heavy and overwhelming.
“For instance, the North will not want the South East to get additional state, so that they keep suffering marginalisation and vice versa. Without such support, I don’t see state creation happening because some are gaining from the imbalance and they will like to continue to enjoy their gains, while the people who are losing will continue to loose”.
Also, speaking on the matter of state creation, another Abuja based systems analyst, Topsy Gimba, said that the bills proposing state creation might survive and pass at the National Assembly, but the state assemblies would kill them at the state level.
“My Brother, even the man proposing the bill for state creation knows that his bill will fail but he will continue to give false hope to his constituents, so that they will continue to support him or her during elections. That is politics. You know there is so much deception in Nigerian brand of politics at the moment.
“Do you want to tell me that the North will support the South East to get one additional state and close that gap of marginalisation they deliberately subjected them to since after the war? Never! They will not do it. However, if it happens, then I will know that it’s God in action and nothing more than that,” he said.
Sunday Telegraph reports that there other reports in social media about proposals for more state creation, which could not be immediately ascertained whether they have bills backing them up or not.
