Big Win For South-East: National Assembly Committee Backs Creation Of New State

The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has endorsed the creation of an additional state in Nigeria’s South-East region.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to a statement issued by the committee’s media unit, the resolution was reached on Saturday during a two-day retreat in Lagos, where lawmakers deliberated on 55 separate proposals for state creation nationwide. The session was chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and co-chaired by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu.

Kalu, who championed the initiative, emphasized that establishing a new state would address the region’s long-standing marginalization and ensure equity among the six geo-political zones. “When created, the South-East will be at par with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East, each having six states,” the statement noted.

Currently, the South-East remains the only region with five states—Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo—while the North-West has seven. During the retreat, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved the motion for the new state, seconded by Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). The proposal received unanimous support and was adopted by the committee.

The committee further resolved to establish a sub-committee to assess additional requests for new states and local government areas across all zones. Out of 278 proposals submitted for review, the panel promised to give priority to those promoting balance and inclusiveness.

Deputy Senate President Jibrin urged members to rally broad support across both chambers and state assemblies. “We must consolidate this process so that all stakeholders buy into it before the final stage of voting,” he stated.