N’Assembly panel endorses creation of new state for South-East
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Joint Committee on Constitution Review of the National Assembly has endorsed the establishment of an additional state in Nigeria’s South-East region, a move aimed at ensuring equity among the country’s six geo-political zones.
Once created, the new state will bring the South-East—currently made up of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo—on equal footing with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East, all of which have six states each. The North-West remains the only zone with seven states: Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Jigawa.
The resolution emerged at a two-day retreat in Lagos on Saturday, where the committee reviewed 55 proposals for state creation nationwide. The meeting was presided over by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and co-chaired by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
In what lawmakers described as a step toward fairness and inclusivity, the committee voted in favour of establishing one more state in the South-East. Kalu, who has been a vocal advocate for the cause, said the decision would promote a stronger sense of belonging among people in the region.
According to a statement issued by the committee’s media unit, the motion for the new state was moved by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) and seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State).
“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 adopted,” the statement read in part.
The joint panel also set up a sub-committee to further assess the creation of additional states and local government areas across all six zones. In total, 278 proposals were submitted for consideration.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin urged legislators to build consensus across both chambers of the National Assembly and state assemblies to ensure the resolutions pass during voting.
“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process.
“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,” Jibrin said.
