On Tuesday, a bill proposing the creation of Adada State, an additional state in Nigeria’s South-East geo-political zone, successfully passed its first reading in the Senate.
This bill, known as the “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2024 (SB. 482),” was introduced by Senator Okey Ezea, who represents the Enugu North Senatorial District.
The primary aim of the bill is to amend Section 3(1) and the First Schedule, Part 1 of the Nigerian Constitution. This amendment would facilitate the establishment of a new state in the South-East region, thereby increasing the total number of states in the region to six, aligning it with other geo-political zones in the country.
The demand for the creation of Adada State is not new. It dates back to 1983 when the late Senator Isaiah Ani, who represented the Nsukka senatorial zone during Nigeria’s Second Republic, initially presented a bill advocating for the state’s creation.