Former Deputy President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has promised to reintroduce the Ethiope State Creation Bill in the first legislative session if he returns to the Senate in 2027, blaming the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari for stalling the proposal.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications, Godwin Anaughe, Omo-Agege said the Buhari administration opposed the creation of new states, making it impossible for the proposal to advance during his tenure as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review.
Responding to renewed criticism over his role in the Ethiope State agitation, Omo-Agege said state creation requires constitutional procedures, broad political support and cooperation from the executive arm of government.
He recalled informing a delegation of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) in September 2020 that the creation of a new state depended on national consensus and federal backing.
According to the statement, Omo-Agege met with Buhari while serving as constitution review committee chairman to discuss over 100 constitutional amendment proposals, including requests for new states, but was informed that the administration would not support the creation of any new state.
The statement argued that pursuing the bill under such circumstances would have been futile, adding that Omo-Agege instead preserved the agitation until a more favourable political climate emerged.
He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has created a fresh opportunity for state creation and challenged current federal lawmakers from Delta Central to sponsor the Ethiope State Creation Bill.
The statement also criticised Senator Ede Dafinone, accusing him of failing to support the agitation.
Omo-Agege pledged to mobilise support across the National Assembly, engage the presidency and work with stakeholders to actualise the creation of Ethiope State if it is not achieved before the 2027 general elections.