The decision was reached on Saturday during a two-day retreat in Lagos, where the committee reviewed 55 proposals for state creation across the country.
The session, chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, resolved that the move was necessary to promote fairness and equity among Nigeria’s geo-political zones.
Kalu, a strong advocate of the initiative, said the creation of a new state would give the people of the South-East a greater sense of belonging. When implemented, the development will bring the region at par with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East, each of which has six states. The South-East currently comprises only five states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.
The motion for the creation of the new state was moved by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) and seconded by Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). According to the committee’s statement, the motion received unanimous support and was subsequently adopted.
In addition, the committee established a sub-committee to consider the creation of more states and local government areas across the six geo-political zones. It disclosed that a total of 278 proposals had been submitted for review.
Speaking at the retreat, Jibrin urged members to rally support among their colleagues in both chambers and at the state Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolution’s success when subjected to voting. “We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process,” he said.
He added that consensus and collaboration among lawmakers would be crucial in achieving the desired constitutional amendments. “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 assemblies,” he stated.
