Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

South-West Demands Five New States and Constitutional Recognition for Traditional Rulers in Ongoing Constitutional Review

POSTED ON July 4, 2025 •   BREAKING NEWS      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
Nigeria Cost of Arm

The demand for the establishment of five new states, the recognition of traditional rulers in the constitution, the creation of more local governments, and the formal inclusion of the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) established by the Lagos State government in 2003 into the constitution emerged as key issues for the South-West region amidst ongoing efforts to amend the 1999 constitution.

This was highlighted during the South-West Zonal Public Hearing on constitutional amendment bills held in Lagos on Friday.

Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barawu, represented by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, stated, “The requests from the South-West include proposals for Ijebu State from Ogun State, a Coastal State from Ondo, Igbomina State encompassing Osun, Ekiti, and Kwara, and both Ibadan and New Oyo States from Oyo State with Oyo as the capital.”

Other proposals included recognizing the created LCDAs as local governments, transferring Orile Oko from Remo North Local Government to Obafemi-Owode, adjusting the boundary of Isheri Olofin Mole between Lagos and Ogun State, and renaming Irewole Local Government in Osun State to Ikire.

Barawu emphasized the Senate's commitment to supporting constitutional roles for traditional rulers and reserving seats for women in both national and state assemblies.

He expressed that past attempts to include these roles in the constitution had failed due to insufficient support from 2/3 of the state House of Assemblies, a constitutional requirement for amendments.

He noted that during the last amendment process in the 9th Senate, significant progress was made before stalling at the assembly approval stage.

He urged traditional rulers to advocate more vigorously for their constitutional roles, stressing the importance of engaging with state governors and the Conference of Speakers.

Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, conveyed that their pursuit of constitutional roles is not about overshadowing the government but rather about enhancing collaborative governance and leadership quality for the populace. Supported by other eminent traditional rulers, they called for the ongoing constitutional review to address and solidify the recognition of traditional institutions to improve governance in Nigeria.

The Ooni pointed out the existing contributions of traditional rulers to national security, conflict resolution, and sociocultural development, asserting that constitutional support would augment these efforts.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, commended the forum as a platform for the South-West citizens to voice their perspectives in the constitutional review.

 He underscored the injustice in failing to recognize the 37 LCDAs formed in 2003 due to the state's growing population, pointing out that Alimosho's sizable population warrants more local governance representation, in contrast to other states with fewer local governments despite similar or greater populations.

In the public hearing, Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, characterized the constitutional review as overdue. He acknowledged the concerns regarding Local Government autonomy, legislative autonomy, and traditional rulers’ constitutional roles, assuring that their legislature would strive to support amendments in these areas once presented.

Former Ogun State governor and current Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel advocated for the creation of Ijebu State, describing it as a necessary correction of historical injustices faced by the Ijebu people.

He highlighted that among all provinces established during the colonial period, only Ijebu Province remained without statehood. Daniel argued that Ijebu land is both resource-rich and populous, making it viable for development.

Additionally, he mentioned that the Remo community, though initially hesitant, is now in favor of the new state provided their identity is included, suggesting it be designated as Ijebu Remo State, similar to Akwa-Ibom State.

Other presentations were also made regarding the proposed creation of New Oyo State from Oyo, Ibadan State, Coastal State from Ondo, Igbomina State from Osun, Ekiti, and Kwara, as well as the reservation of seats for women in both national and state legislatures.

0
READ ALSO
Sowore Condemns Tenure Extensions of Senior Security Officials for Violating 35-Year Service Limit
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 6, 2025 0

Human rights advocate and ex-presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, has criticized the ongoing tenur...

READ ALSO
South-West Demands Five New States and Constitutional Recognition for Traditional Rulers in Ongoing Constitutional Review
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 4, 2025 0

The demand for the establishment of five new states, the recognition of traditional rulers in the co...

READ ALSO
Federal High Court Orders Reinstatement of  Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Calls Suspension "Excessive"
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 4, 2025 0

A Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Friday that the Nigerian Senate exceeded its authority by sus...

READ ALSO
Calls for Autopsy: Ondo Govt. Faces Pressure to Exhume Late Governor Akeredolu's Body
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 30, 2025 0

The Ondo State Government may need to exhume the body of the late governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, f...

READ ALSO
Tinubu to Discuss Sustainable Governance at BRICS Summit in Rio
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 29, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu arrived in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, on Saturday for the first leg of his two-p...

READ ALSO
Reps Launches Committee to Review CNG Policy Implementation
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 27, 2025 0

The House of Representatives has formed an ad-hoc committee tasked with examining the Federal Govern...

READ ALSO
Nigeria Takes Bold Step towards Energy Independence with Naira-Based Crude Sales Initiative
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 25, 2025 0

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, alongside the Federal Government’s One-Stop-Sho...

READ ALSO
IPMAN Links Rising Petrol Prices to Crude Oil Costs and Market Dynamics
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria (NAN) - The Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Associati...

OUR CHANNELS:

Nigeria Police Force Dismantles Notorious Arms Supply Network Linked to Bandits
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 23, 2025 0

The Nigeria Police Force has successfully intercepted a notorious arms supply network linked to armi...


Maduka Okoye Suspended for Two Months Amid Betting Scandal
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

Udinese and Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has received a two-month suspension from the Italian Fo...


APC's National Assembly Power Grows to 70 with PDP Senator Defections
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 24, 2025 0

The number of All Progressives Congress (APC) senators in the National Assembly increased to 70 on W...


Lagos State Mobile Court Prosecutes Five for Illegal Waste Disposal
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

At least five individuals have been brought before a mobile court in the Bolade area of Oshodi, Lago...


Federal High Court Discharges Female Drug Offender on Compassionate Grounds
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 24, 2025 0

Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday issued a caution and discharged...


APC Set to Appoint New National Chairman at Thursday's NEC Meeting
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 24, 2025 0

A new National Chairman for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may be appointed on Thursday...


Military Jet Crash at Dhaka School Claims 31 Lives, Sparks Nationwide Outrage
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 24, 2025 0

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Grief and anger swept across Bangladesh following the tragic crash of a mi...


UK Sentenced Traffic Robber to 24 Years for Killing Footballer
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 24, 2025 0

A court in the United Kingdom has sentenced 27-year-old Oguzcan Dereli to 24 years in prison for the...


Nigerian Lawmakers Demand Reversal of U.S. Visa Policy Changes Amid Concerns Over Economic Impact
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the U.S. government to reinstate the five-year multipl...


CBN Maintain Interest Rate at 27.5%
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 24, 2025 0

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has decided to keep the country's Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu