Stakeholders from across Oyo State have renewed calls for the creation of new states out of the existing Oyo territory, as part of the ongoing Constitution Review process spearheaded by the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
During the South-West zonal public hearing held over the weekend in Lagos, memoranda were submitted by various socio-cultural and regional forums, demanding the establishment of New Oyo State, Oke-Ogun State, and Ibadan State—all to be carved out from the current Oyo State structure.
The Ogbomoso Valliant Club, a body of elder statesmen from Ogbomoso, presented a formal bill to the Senate Committee, calling for the creation of New Oyo State, with its capital proposed to be sited in Ogbomoso.
Retired Rear Admiral Jacob Ajani, President of the Club, while presenting the case, argued that the current Oyo State—with a landmass of approximately 28,500 square kilometres—is disproportionately large and administratively unwieldy, almost equal in size to the entire South-East region which comprises five states.
“Oyo State alone is about the present South-East in size. If the South-East can have five states, then it is justifiable for us to request New Oyo State, with Ogbomoso as its capital,” Ajani said.
He added that the proposed state would comprise 19 local government areas—more than double the number in Bayelsa State, which currently has just eight LGAs.
Ajani described Ogbomoso as a strategic economic and historical hub, highlighting its significant population—the third largest in the South-West after Lagos and Ibadan—and its host of educational and medical institutions, including two teaching hospitals and four degree-awarding institutions.
In a similar presentation, the Oke-Ogun Development Consultative Forum demanded the creation of Oke-Ogun State, with Agunrege proposed as the capital.
Dr Bimpe Aderonmu, who spoke on behalf of the Forum, said the longstanding demand for Oke-Ogun State is driven by a collective desire to bring governance closer to the people and redress decades of infrastructural neglect and political marginalisation.
“Oke-Ogun’s ten local government areas occupy two-thirds of Oyo’s arable landmass. We have the land, the people, and the historical precedence—this is arguably the oldest agitation for state creation in Nigeria,” Aderonmu asserted.
Supporting the submission, Dr Seidu Bello noted the unity behind the demand, stating that the petition had been endorsed by traditional rulers, religious leaders, elected officials and civil society representatives across the ten LGAs including Iseyin, Saki East and West, Irepo, Kajola, and Iwajowa.
“Oke-Ogun is a well-defined geographical region. We are resolute in our quest for a state with Agunrege as its capital,” he said.
Also at the public hearing, Chief Suleiman Adewole, Chairman of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, renewed the call for the creation of Ibadan State, comprising Ibadanland and Ibarapa, together covering 14 out of Oyo’s current 33 LGAs.
Chief Adewole emphasised the historical significance of Ibadan, recalling that during Nigeria’s First Republic, Ibadan stood shoulder to shoulder with Kaduna and Enugu as one of the administrative capitals of the former three regions.
“Kaduna and Enugu have become states. Only Ibadan, which served as the capital of the old Western Region, has yet to be accorded that status. The creation of Ibadan State is long overdue and justifiable,” he said.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Senator Jibrin Barau, represented by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, reiterated the Committee’s commitment to a transparent and participatory constitutional reform process.
He outlined the key thematic areas under review, including electoral and judicial reforms, federalism and devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, security, inclusive governance, and state creation.
“The Senate acknowledges the urgency of many of the issues raised, particularly those that speak to regional development, equity, and administrative efficiency. All submissions will be meticulously reviewed,” he assured.
As the public hearings continue across Nigeria’s geo-political zones, the submissions from Oyo State reflect a growing national clamour for administrative restructuring and grassroots-oriented governance. Whether these proposals translate into constitutional amendments remains contingent on broad legislative consensus and political will at the federal level.
