SENATOR OKEY EZEA CANVASSES FOR ADADA STATE

Our people will recall that on Tuesday, 2nd July 2024, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 2024 (SB 482), which I sponsored, successfully passed First Reading on the floor of the Nigerian Senate.

Since then, I have made sustained and determined efforts to galvanize the South East Caucus of the Senate, ably led by Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, to appreciate why the creation of Adada State deserves top priority among other similar agitations across the country. Beyond the regional front, I have also engaged in extensive lobbying and consultations across geopolitical zones to build broad-based support for the bill.

Gladly, among all the ongoing demands for state creation, Adada State stands out as virtually the only proposed state that meets all the constitutional requirements and criteria for state creation.

For clarity, Section 8(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides a very rigorous process for the creation of a new state, which must pass through four key stages:

Formal Request:

A written request must be submitted to the National Assembly, supported by at least two-thirds of all elected representatives from the area seeking the new state – including senators, members of the House of Representatives, members of the State House of Assembly, local government chairmen, and ward councillors.

Referendum:

Following the request, a referendum must be conducted among the people of the area concerned, and at least two-thirds of the population must vote in favour of creating the new state.

Approval by States:

The outcome of the referendum must then be approved by a simple majority of all the States of the Federation through their respective Houses of Assembly.

National Assembly Approval and Presidential Assent:
Finally, both Houses of the National Assembly must pass a resolution by a two-thirds majority approving the proposal, after which the resolution is transmitted to the President for assent.

On our part, the Adada State creation request submitted to the National Assembly received the unanimous endorsement of all elected representatives from Enugu North Senatorial District, as well as the full support of all National Assembly members from the other zones in Enugu State. No other proposed state has achieved this level of consensus and constitutional compliance.

This clarification is necessary to underscore the meticulous and multi-layered process involved in creating a new state under our constitutional framework. Both chambers of the National Assembly have set up Constitution Review Committees, chaired respectively by the Deputy Senate President and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. These committees are still working and have yet to submit their reports to the two chambers. Only upon the submission of those reports will the public be in a position to know the committees’ recommendations.

Therefore, the reports circulating on some sections of social media claiming that the Constitution Review Committees have recommended certain new states while excluding Adada State are not only false and misleading, but also mischievous and baseless.

Let it be emphasized that advocacy and negotiations of this nature are never conducted through social media agitation or emotional outbursts. The real work happens through strategic engagement, quiet diplomacy, and consistent lobbying behind the scenes – all of which are ongoing.

Adada State satisfies every constitutional condition for state creation, and I remain confident that the 10th National Assembly and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will accord this request the serious consideration and attention it rightfully deserves.

Ezea represents Enugu North Senatorial District in the Senate
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