The House of Representatives on Thursday took a significant step towards altering Nigeria’s political map, as lawmakers passed, for a second reading, a bill seeking the creation of Ibadan State from the present Oyo State.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Abass Adigun, who represents Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East Federal Constituency, scaled through after a heated debate at plenary.
Adigun argued that Ibadan, with its population size and vast landmass, had long deserved recognition as a state.
Leading the debate, the lawmaker pointed to precedents, noting that cities like Enugu and Kaduna, which once served as regional capitals, had since been elevated to state status.
“This bill represents a monumental step toward equitable development through federalism and the realisation of the long-held aspiration of the people of Ibadan,” Adigun declared.
He further claimed that one local government area in Ibadan was bigger than three in Bayelsa State, a statement that quickly drew the ire of Obuku Ofurji (Yenagoa/Opokuma, Bayelsa).
Ofurji dismissed the comparison as both “irrelevant and disrespectful,” warning against dragging other states into the debate.
Adigun, however, apologised but stood by his position, insisting that the figures he presented were factual.
Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, referred the bill to the House Committee on Constitutional Review, which he also chairs.