A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has asserted that Nigeria owes the Southeast region the creation of an additional state.
This statement comes in the wake of renewed calls for the establishment of new states in the Southeast.
In a Facebook post addressing the ongoing debates about state creation, Igbokwe declared, “Nigeria is still owing the Southeast additional one state and one governor.” His comments reflect a broader discussion on the regional balance of states and governance in Nigeria.
Igbokwe’s remarks coincide with significant legislative movements regarding state creation in the Southeast. On Tuesday, the bill to create Adada State successfully passed its first reading in the Nigerian Senate. The bill, officially titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2024 (SB. 482),” is sponsored by Senator Okey Ezea, who represents the Enugu North Senatorial District.
Senator Ezea explained that the bill aims to amend Section 3(1) and the First Schedule, Part 1 of the Nigerian Constitution to facilitate the creation of a new state in the Southeast region. The proposed Adada State would be carved out from parts of the existing Enugu State.
In addition, a similar bill for the creation of a new state, named Etiti State, has also made progress. This bill passed its first reading in the House of Representatives and is sponsored by five members from the Southeast region: Amobi Ogah, Miriam Onuoha, Kama Nkemkama, Chinwe Nnabuife, and Anayo Onwuegbu.
If approved, Etiti State would be formed from territories of Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu, and Ebonyi States. The proposed state would consist of 11 Local Government Areas, with Lokpanta proposed as the capital city.
Both the Adada State and Etiti State proposals are part of broader efforts to address regional representation and development through the creation of new administrative units.
