On Thursday, June 6, 2024, the House of Representatives stepped toward creating a new State in the country’s South-East geopolitical Zone. According to PUNCH, legislators on the House floor during Thursday’s plenary passed a bill to create Orlu State on first reading.

Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, and others have sponsored the bill, which is currently scheduled for a second reading. According to the draft bill, the creation of the Orlu State will change the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and increase the number of States in the Federation from 36 to 37. The new State for South-East would be formed from Imo, Abia, and Anambra, with Orlu serving as its capital.

The bill also seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution by inserting a new paragraph, which will include 28 Local Government areas, namely Orlu, Orsu, Oru West, Oru East, Ideato North, Ideato South, Njaba, Nkwerre, Nwangele, Isu, Oguta, Ohaji Egbema, Onuimo, Ihiala, Uga, Ihiala, Uli, Ozubulu, Akokwa, Arondizuogu, Umuchu, Umunze, Umuaku, New Ideato North, Nwabosi West, Nwabosi East.

Ugochinyere, a People’s Democratic Party member and the bill’s principal sponsor, urged his colleagues in the National Assembly to support it so it could pass a second reading. He asserted that the creation of Orlu State would result in the development of Ideato as a Senatorial District.

The North-West currently has seven States, whereas the North-East, North-Central, South-South, and South-West each have six. Only the South East has five States. However, the South-West is proposing the establishment of Oke-Ogun State, which would bring it to a level with the North-West.

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