The Joint Committee of the National Assembly on constitution review has approved the creation of an additional state for the South-East geopolitical zone, after an unanimous vote.
Southeast is the only region with five state, however, an additional state would close the gap that existed among other regions.
During deliberation at a two-day retreat in Lagos, the committee chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, received overwhelming support for the creation of additional state for the South-east region, in view of the existing imbalance.
Kalu, among other lawmakers, who had consistently championed the demand for an additional state for the region, reiterated that the approval was anchored on principles of equity, justice, and fairness.
Following the deliberations, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved a motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State).
The motion received the unanimous support of committee members and was consequently adopted.
In a related development, the joint committee also established a sub-committee to further consider the creation of additional states and local government areas across all six geopolitical zones, noting that a total of 278 proposals were submitted for review.
In his remarks, Senator Jibrin urged members to rally support among their colleagues at the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolutions sail through during voting.
“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process,” Jibrin said. “By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders—from both chambers and the State Houses of Assembly.”
