Ijebu Remo State advocates urge consensus on name and capital to secure the lone South West slot for a new state in Nigeria
(a) In 1923, Twenty Two Provinces were created by the British Colonial Administration in Nigeria.
Also read: Otunba Gbenga Daniel revives bitumen project in Ijebu East (Photos)
(b) Out of these 22 Provinces, were Ijebu Province and Egba Province respectively.
(c) In 1976, via decree, the military Govt in Nigeria created Ogun State covering the two Provinces of Ijebu & Egba, with capital in Abeokuta.
(b) Shortly before the 2nd Republic, the military also establish three(3) Senatorial District of Ogun East (9LGs), Ogun Central(6LGs) and Ogun West(5LGs), with 20LG Council areas.
(c) In the meantime in 1938, the British Colonial Govt had created kingdom of Akarigbo of Remoland, autonomous within Ijebu Province.
In 1976, when Ogun State was created out of old Western States, subsequent law was enacted for the establishment of Ogun State Traditional Council, with only four Paramount rulers officially recognised as permanent Council members:
– Awujale of Ijebuland,
– Alake of Egbaland,
– Akarigbo of Remoland, and
– Paramount Ruler of Yewaland.
(d) Only Military Govts succeeded in creating States in Nigeria as;
1967: General Yakubu Gowon created 12 states from the original 4 regions.
1976: General Murtala Mohammed created 7 new states, bringing the total to 19.
1987: General Ibrahim Babangida created 2 new states, bringing the total to 21.
1991: General Ibrahim Babangida created 9 new states, increasing the total to 30.
1996: General Sani Abacha created 6 new states, bringing the total to the current 36.
(e) Several agitations for the creation of a new State of old Ijebu Province out of Ogun State failed, for lack of unanimity on the name to call the new State and location of capital.
(f) The only selling point as advantageous and may succeed as compelling reason, in the current agitation exercise, is that Ijebu Province is still registered in the books of history, as the only Province out of the 22 provinces earlier created in 1923, that is yet to be created as stand alone State in Nigeria….others have either been divided into two or more States, or as Stand alone State.
(g) In the current exercise, yet under a democratically elected Federal & State Govt, there are efforts from Legislative Representatives at the National & State levels, to reconcile stakeholders on the two major conflicting areas in the agitation, towards creation of a New State of Old Ijebu Province out the present Ogun State:
– Name of the new State.
– Location of Capital.
(h) At the Retreat of National Assembly Joint Committees on Constitution Amendment held in Lagos on October 2025, only one more State will be created in South West geopolitical region of Nigeria.
(i) In Southwest, the following New States creation as requests have been officially submitted recorded in the NASS books:
– Ijebu State x 9 LGs with capital in Ijebuode.
– Ijebu State x 6LGs with capital in Ijebuode
– Remo State x 3Lgs with capital in Sagamu.
– Lagoon State (including Waterside LG in present Ogun State) with capital in Epe.
– Torumbe State from Ondo,
– Ibadan State from Oyo State.
– Oke Ogun/Ijesha State from Oyo/Ogun/Osun States.
(j) Insisting on any of the referenced names as submitted in (i) above appear chaotic, leading to another likely failed attempt in the agitation.
(k) If (f) above must be pursue to logical conclusion, especially towards the realization of massive infrastructural development growth that have eluded the peoples of old Ijebu Province since 1923, then a sincere reconciliation of opinions with a win-win resolution on the name of the New State as Ijebu-Remo State, with capital in Ijebuode, taking cognisance of existing statue referred to in (c) above,…must happen urgently, with unanimous concurrence between the two divisions of Ijebu and Remo……..no story!
(l) And if in future, our Children’s Children in respective Remoland and Ijebuland, find compelling reason(s), to agitate for either an independent Ijebu State or Remo States respectively, out of the Ijebu-Remo State
(if we succeed in the current agitation exercise) it will surely bring much more development……but for now the Ibadan State agitation seems to be having more convincing reason to secure the only one slot allocation of additional new State in SW, for their unanimity and harmonious relationship exhibited in the agitation.
Though the then Oyo Province was divided into Oyo and Oshun States in Aug 27th 1991….and for fair play in a National contest, Oyo State cannot again be further divided into two States.
This can only happen if Ijebu and Remo refused to speak with unanimity and concensus of opinion.
The Remos may have shifted on their earlier stand of Remo State with capital in Sagamu(as indicated in i above), now agreeing to the name of the new State as Ijebu-Remo State with capital in Ijebuode.
The Ijebus should also concur sharp sharp, to witness the massive development that has eluded the whole area in our time.
(m) Agitation for new State in a democratic democracy at this time, is about dialogue amongst major stakeholders to concensus, rather than name calling or unwarranted egos, that can only result in another failure in the agitation.
It is only in a military dispensation, that “fiat order” can bw delivered via media announcement, to creating a New State without stating reason(s) on the Name or its capital location.
It is nearly impossible for a democratic govt to create a new State without near 100% consensus of opinion amongst stakeholders within the area demanding.
Also read: Not only Sagamu, don’t touch OGD’s properties in Ijebu Ode too, court tells Dapo Abiodun
(n) I therefore submit that a win-win solution, as advanced in (k) above, is the only key to securing a New State of old Ijebu Province at this time.
