Senate introduces bill to create new state from Kano

The Senate has introduced a bill seeking the creation of a “Tiga State” from the current Kano State. The Bill passed its first reading on Thursday.

The bill is entitled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (Creation of Tiga State) Bill, 2024,” and is sponsored by Senator Kawu Suleiman Abdurrahman, representing Kano South.

Similarly, another bill, proposing the creation of Anioma State in the South-East, has passed its first reading at the Upper Chamber. It is sponsored by Ned Nwoko, the Senator representing Delta North.

Nwoko’s bill seeks to amend three sections of the 1999 Constitution to replace the word “36” with “37” to accommodate the new state and add “Anioma” immediately after “Delta” to the list of states.

The proposed Anioma State would encompass the local government areas of Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North-East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, and Ukwuani, with Asaba designated as the state capital.

Also in the Lower Chamber,  five members from the Sorch uth-East have proposed the creation of Etiti State to be carved out of the present Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.

The Bill seeks to alteration of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, by replacing 36 states with 37 states. The proposed state will have 11 local government areas drawn from the five states with the capital to be located at Lokpanta.

The bill also seeks to alter the listing of local government areas according to states and transfer the 11 local government areas from their current states to the proposed Etiti State.

There is also a bill seeking the creation of Orlu State to be carved out of the Imo, Abia, and Anambra states, which passed the first reading in the Green Chamber. It is sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere, a lawmaker representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, and others.