By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
A bill seeking the creation of Ibadan State in the South-West geopolitical zone scaled second reading at the House of Representatives during plenary on Thursday, October 9.
The bill, sponsored by Abass Adigun, the lawmaker representing Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East Federal Constituency of Oyo State, also proposed Ibadan as the capital city.
This comes on the heels of the recent appeal by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to President Bola Tinubu to approve the creation of Ibadan State before 2027.
Oba Ladoja made the appeal during his coronation as the 44th Olubadan, on September 26, describing it as “a dream deferred for far too long.”
In his presentation during plenary on Thursday, Adigun argued that Ibadan, being the largest city in West Africa and a historic capital of the defunct Western Region, deserves to be a state for the sake of equity, development, and administrative efficiency.
He noted that cities like Enugu and Kaduna, both former regional capitals, have since been recognised as states, while Ibadan has not, despite its population size, landmass, and economic importance.
He said the creation of Ibadan State “represents a monumental step toward equitable development through true federalism and the realisation of a long-held aspiration of the people of Ibadan.”
Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over Thursday’s plenary, referred the bill to the Committee on Constitutional Review for further legislative action.
Mixed reactions have, however, trailed the news of the bill scaling second reading.
While some Nigerians are in support of the creation of Ibadan State, others argue that it could give momentum to the agitation for the creation of more states in other regions of the country.
In his tweet on X (formerly Twitter) in support of the bill, @Walex_dinho wrote, “Personally, I think this is a good move. Oyo State is just too big and it is often difficult for the government to spread the dividend of democracy across all regions as Ibadan is the only well developed region in Oyo state. This will ensure other regions too can develop well.”
@Adebanjosanya3 tweeted, “Creating Ibadan State might sound appealing, but constant state splitting only deepens administrative costs without solving real developmental issues. Oyo’s challenge isn’t size, it’s governance. Instead of carving new boundaries, leaders should focus on equitable distribution and local empowerment within the existing structures.”
@LayKay1103 added, “Why can’t they carve out Yorubas in Kogi, join them with some in Kwara to make a state? Or carve out Itshekiri and Olukumi in Delta state and add them to the Yoruba speaking Akoko Edo in Edo, join them with some people in Ondo State to make a state.”
Querying the necessity of the creation of another state, @Atobajaye25 wrote, “Does Oyo State really need this? When exactly was Osun taken out of the state?”
@OkonRomeo said, “If they are creating Ibadab State then Ogoja must equally be created.”
@NwaliChino9266 wrote, “Which kind of play is that? It’s only southeast that need one state to equate the number of other zones.”
If the bill is successfully passed, it would mark the first creation of a new state in Nigeria since the return to democratic rule in 1999, with the last state creation exercise being in 1996, when the Sani Abacha’s military regime established six new states, bringing the total number to 36.
The bill is one of the many proposals before the National Assembly seeking the creation of new states across Nigeria.
Several lawmakers have over the years introduced over 30 bills for the creation of states such as Ogoja, Anioma, Orlu, Kainji, Apa, Adada, Ada, Gurara, and Katagum, among others. These proposals have, however stalled due to the constitutional hurdles involved, including approval by two-thirds of state assemblies.
