A new bill aiming to create Ogoja State from Cross River State has successfully passed its second reading at the House of Representatives. This development was announced during a plenary session on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
The bill, co-sponsored by Godwin Offiono from the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency in Cross River State, along with three other lawmakers, seeks to amend Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution to facilitate the creation of the new state. The proposal was put to a voice vote by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and received the necessary support to move forward.
The bill has now been referred to the committee on constitutional review for further deliberation. This is part of a broader effort by the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution, a process that is expected to be completed by December 2025, according to Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
Creating a new state in Nigeria is a complex process. It requires support from at least two-thirds majority of members in the Senate, the House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the local government councils. Additionally, the proposal must be approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area and then by a simple majority of all the states of the Federation and their Houses of Assembly.
This bill adds to the list of proposals seeking to create new states in the country, but it is noteworthy that no new state has been created since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.
