Toba Owojaiye reporting
Abuja, Nigeria
A bill proposing the creation of Ogoja State from Cross River has successfully passed its second reading in the House of Representatives. Co-sponsored by Godwin Offiono, a lawmaker from Cross River, alongside three other representatives, the bill aims to amend the 1999 Constitution to establish the new state within Nigeria’s south-south geopolitical zone.
Truth Live News gathered that during Thursday’s plenary session, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the bill to a voice vote, which received majority support, allowing it to advance to the House Committee on Constitutional Review for further consideration. This proposal is one of many currently seeking to create new states, reflecting a growing demand for greater local governance across various regions.
Creating a new state in Nigeria is no simple task. Amending the 1999 Constitution to facilitate this change requires navigating a complex legal framework. Section 8(1) of the Constitution stipulates that such a bill must receive support from at least two-thirds of the representatives from the affected area in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as from the State House of Assembly and local government councils. Additionally, a referendum must be conducted where at least two-thirds of the local population supports the proposal. Even then, the referendum results must gain a simple majority approval from other states across the federation, and ultimately, the bill must pass by a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Since Nigeria returned to democratic governance in 1999, no new state has been created, making this proposal potentially groundbreaking. If successful, the establishment of Ogoja State would set a new precedent, encouraging other regions that have long sought statehood to pursue similar initiatives