National Assembly Endorses Creation Of New South-East State In Historic Move

The Joint Committee on Constitution Review of the National Assembly has endorsed the creation of an additional state in the South-East region of Nigeria. According to Ireporter Online, the decision was reached during a two-day retreat held in Lagos, where lawmakers deliberated on 55 proposals submitted for new state formations across the federation.

The retreat, presided over by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and co-chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, focused on addressing regional imbalances and promoting inclusivity in Nigeria’s political structure. Kalu, who has been a strong advocate for the initiative, emphasized that the move would correct a long-standing inequity and grant the South-East a sense of belonging comparable to other zones.

“When created, the South-East will be at par with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East regions, which each have six states,” the committee’s statement noted. Presently, the South-East comprises only five states—Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo—making it the only geo-political zone with fewer than six states.

During deliberations, Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central moved the motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka representing Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency of Ogun State. The proposal received unanimous approval from committee members and was subsequently adopted.

The committee further announced the formation of a sub-committee to scrutinize all pending requests for additional states and local government areas across the six geopolitical zones. In total, 278 proposals were submitted for review.

Deputy Senate President Jibrin urged lawmakers to intensify consultations and secure widespread support across both chambers and state assemblies before the final phase of voting. He stressed the need for collective commitment to ensure the process succeeds, stating that the buy-in of all stakeholders would be crucial to achieving national consensus on the amendment.