Akpabio’s Endorsement Fuels Ijebu-Remo Statehood Bid: A Strategic Move in Nigeria’s Political Landscape
An analysis of the Senate President’s public backing for a new state in Southwest Nigeria and its implications for federal politics, regional development, and the complex process of state creation.
Strategic Backing at a Cultural Gathering
In a significant political development, Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has publicly urged the people of Remoland to strengthen their alliance with the Ijebu to advance the movement for a proposed Ijebu-Remo State. This endorsement, delivered at the 2025 Remo Day celebration in Sagamu, Ogun State, moves the long-standing aspiration from local discourse to the national legislative agenda.
According to a report by Persecondnews, Akpabio framed unity as the non-negotiable foundation for achieving statehood, stating, “I want you to work closely with the Ijebu people towards the creation of Ijebu State. We at the National Assembly will support you.” His careful avoidance of naming a potential capital, while hinting it must be in a “peaceful environment,” underscores the sensitive political negotiations that lie ahead.
Beyond Festival Rhetoric: The High Stakes of State Creation
Akpabio’s remarks, made under the theme “One People, Diverse Cultures, One Identity,” transcend typical cultural festival platitudes. They represent a tacit but clear signal of potential legislative support from the highest level of the National Assembly. The creation of a new state in Nigeria is a constitutional labyrinth, requiring not just local consensus but a two-thirds majority approval in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, followed by a majority vote in at least two-thirds of the state legislatures.
Analysts view Akpabio’s public encouragement as a strategic maneuver. It placates a significant socio-political bloc in the Southwest while testing the waters for a major constitutional amendment. The move also aligns with broader political narratives around restructuring and devolution of power, topics that remain perennially central to Nigeria’s federal discourse.
Economic Underpinnings and the “Remo Model”
The Senate President’s speech notably highlighted the economic rationale behind the push. By praising Remo’s “hardworking industrialists” and the “concentration of industries in this area,” Akpabio implicitly endorsed the region’s viability as an economic hub capable of sustaining a state apparatus. This aligns with Governor Dapo Abiodun’s presentation of Remoland as an emerging logistics and agro-processing powerhouse.
Abiodun’s announcement that the Gateway International Airport will commence international cargo operations next month is pivotal. He framed this development as a catalyst to “revolutionize logistics, create thousands of jobs, and establish Remoland as West Africa’s premier agro-processing and export hub.” This economic narrative provides a compelling, development-focused argument for statehood that goes beyond ethnic or cultural claims, potentially strengthening its case at the national level.
Unity as a Prerequisite, Not a Guarantee
A recurring theme from all speakers—Akpabio, Governor Abiodun, and the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi—was the imperative of internal unity. The monarch’s reaffirmation that the people remain “committed to working with stakeholders to realize the proposed Ijebu-Remo State” suggests ongoing dialogue and, possibly, unresolved negotiations between the Ijebu and Remo subgroups.
History shows that state creation movements in Nigeria often fracture on the rocks of internal disagreements over capital location, resource allocation, and political representation. Akpabio’s call for peace and close collaboration is, therefore, a pointed acknowledgment of this primary obstacle. The success of the bid may hinge less on National Assembly lobbying and more on the ability of Ijebu and Remo leaders to present a genuinely unified front.
Conclusion: A Long Road Ahead
While Senate President Akpabio’s endorsement at Remo Day 2025 is a powerful boost for the Ijebu-Remo statehood movement, it marks a beginning, not an end. The path forward is fraught with constitutional hurdles, political horse-trading at the national level, and the meticulous work of building unshakeable local consensus. The coming months will reveal whether this cultural festival moment can transform into a sustained, strategic political campaign capable of navigating one of Nigeria’s most complex governance processes. The eyes of other regions with similar aspirations will undoubtedly be watching closely.
Primary Source: This analysis is based on reporting from Persecondnews.