Leaders from the South-West geopolitical zone have called for the creation of five additional states, more local government areas and constitutional roles for traditional rulers across the country.
The demands topped discussions at the South-West zonal public hearing on the proposed amendment of the 1999 Constitution, held on Friday in Lagos.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who represented the Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Jibrin Barau, listed the state creation proposals submitted by the South-West to include Ijebu State from Ogun, Coastal State from Ondo, Igbomina State from parts of Osun, Ekiti and Kwara, as well as Ibadan State and New Oyo State both from Oyo.
According to Bamidele, other proposals before the committee include: the listing of the 37 Local Council Development Areas created by the Lagos State Government in 2003 into the constitution as recognised local governments; excision of Orile Oko from Remo North LG into Obafemi-Owode LG of Ogun State; boundary adjustment of Isheri Olofin-Mole between Lagos and Ogun states; and renaming Irewole Local Government in Osun State as Ikire LG.
Bamidele added that the Senate had also received bills proposing constitutional roles for traditional rulers and reserved legislative seats for women at both the national and state levels.
He noted that similar proposals on monarchs’ roles had failed in the past due to the inability of two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly to approve the amendment, as required by law.
‘The last attempt during the ninth Senate nearly succeeded, but we could not get the needed endorsement from 24 out of the 36 state assemblies. Our royal fathers must intensify advocacy, particularly among Speakers and governors, to make progress’.
Speaking on behalf of South-West traditional rulers, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said monarchs were not seeking to rival elected officials but to complement government’s efforts in areas of security, conflict resolution, and grassroots development.
The monarch was joined by other first-class rulers, including the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade; Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye; Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi; and the Dagburewe of Idowa, Oba Sikiru Okuribido, who represented the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.
Oba Ogunwusi said, ‘We are already doing a lot in maintaining peace, security and promoting socio-economic development. Giving us constitutional backing will further enhance our contribution to nation-building’.
In his remarks, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, urged the National Assembly to formally recognise the 37 LCDAs created in Lagos in 2003.
He described the continued non-recognition of the LCDAs as unjust, especially considering the state’s population.
‘For example, Alimosho LGA, with a population nearly equal to that of Bayelsa State, had to be split into six LCDAs to meet administrative needs. It is only fair that they are listed in the constitution and given full status like other local governments’.
Also speaking, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly and Chairman of the South-West Conference of Speakers, Adeoye Aribasoye, said lawmakers in the region supported the constitutional review, particularly on local government autonomy, legislative independence, and roles for traditional rulers.
Making a case for the creation of Ijebu State from Ogun, former governor and senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, said it was time to correct what he described as over a century of marginalisation.
He noted that Ijebu was the only former colonial province yet to be granted statehood, despite its size, population, and economic potential.
The senator said, ‘The Ijebu land has the capacity to sustain its own state. The Remo people have also expressed support for the state creation, provided their identity is included in the new name, “Ijebu Remo State”, similar to Akwa Ibom’.
