A video shared on Instagram by the user @mazitundeednut claims that Nigeria’s House of Representatives has split Oyo State into two, captioned as “Breaking: Reps split Oyo state into two.” The post suggests that a new “Oyo State” with Oyo Town as its capital, and an “Ibadan State” with Ibadan as its capital, has been created. The video shows Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, addressing lawmakers during a session on October 22, 2024.
At the time of verification, the post had garnered over 6,000 comments and more than 55,000 likes, prompting Haltfake to fact-check the claim due to its widespread reach.
Oyo State, located in southwestern Nigeria, has its capital in Ibadan, Nigeria’s third most populous city. Bordered by Kwara, Osun, Ogun states, and the Republic of Benin, it has a population of about 7.98 million (2022). Known as the “Pace Setter State,” Oyo is predominantly Yoruba and rich in history, previously part of the powerful Oyo Empire (c. 1300–1896). The Alaafin of Oyo holds a ceremonial position in modern Oyo City, which dates back to the empire’s era. The state is home to Nigeria’s first university, the University of Ibadan (founded in 1948). Its economy is primarily agricultural, with Shaki as a major farming hub, producing cassava, cocoa, and tobacco.
Upon listening to the video, it becomes clear that what is presented is a bill proposal by Akeem Adeniyi, the representative of Afijo/Atiba/Oyo East/Oyo West federal constituency in Oyo State, and not a finalised decision. In Nigeria, bills must undergo three readings, a public hearing, and committee reviews before being passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
An excerpt from the video clarifies this further: “The second order of the day is the commencement of debate on the general principles of a bill for an act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, to create a new Oyo state with Oyo town as the capital city [and] effect consequential change of the remaining parts of Oyo state to Ibadan state with Ibadan city as capital.” This shows that the bill is still in its second reading and has not yet passed into law.
Verdict: The claim that Oyo State has been split into two is misleading. The bill is still under legislative debate and has not been approved or enacted into law.
