Reps move to split Oyo State into two

The House of Representatives has passed, for second reading, a bill seeking to split Oyo State into two distinct states.

The constitutional amendment bill, sponsored by Akeem Adeyemi (APC, Oyo) and six others, aims to create a new Oyo State, with Oyo town as its capital.

Additionally, the bill proposes the consequential renaming of the remaining part of Oyo State as Ibadan State, with Ibadan City as capital.

The bill was not debated by the lawmakers, as Speaker Abbas Tajudeen announced that the bill was straightforward legislation that did not require debate.

Mr Tajudeen subsequently referred the bill to the Committee on Constitutional Review for further legislative action.

Oyo State was created on 3 February 1976, following the division of the former Western State during the military regime of General Murtala Mohammed.

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There have been several attempts to create different states out of the present Oyo State. In the past, such bills to create Oke-Ogun and Ibadan states had failed to scale through.

In the ongoing constitution review, there is a bill to create Oke-Ogun State, sponsored by Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun).