Oluwole Oke, the lawmaker who represents Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, is suggesting a bill that aims to establish three new states in the South-West region.
The bill, scheduled for presentation in the House of Representatives, proposes 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.”
The draft bill proposes the creation of Oke-Ogun State, with Iseyin as its capital city. This state would consist of 12 local government areas, namely Olorunsogo, Irepo, Oorerelope, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Saki-East, Saki-West, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, and Iseyin.
On the other hand, Ijebu State, if established, would include 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 would be composed of 11 LGAs, namely 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 geopolitical zone consists of six states: Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, and Ekiti. If Oke’s bill is successfully passed, the region will have more states than the North-West, which currently has the highest number of states among the other zones such as North-Central, North-East, South-South, and South-East.
