By Idowu Ephraim Faleye +2348132100608
The Creation of State Constituencies Bill 2025 will go down in history as one of the most people centered legislative actions of this era. Hon. Biodun Omoleye has started well by pushing the bill; the people of Ijero and indeed Ekiti State must rally behind him to push this agitation to success. Fair representation is not a privilege — it is a right, and this bill is a courageous step toward ensuring that every community, no matter how far or forgotten, finally has a voice that counts.
For too long, Ijero Local Government has suffered quiet neglect under a system that does not reflect its true size, population, and contribution to the state. It is painful to note that a local government with sixteen towns and villages, and with the second largest voting strength in Ekiti state is represented by only one member in the Ekiti State House of Assembly. This is an obvious injustice that must be corrected if fairness and equality are to mean anything in our democracy.
How can it be fair that Ikere, a single-town local government, has two assembly members, while Ijero, with sixteen towns, has only one? How can we say we practice representative democracy when areas with lesser population and smaller landmass enjoy more legislative presence than others? The answer is simple — the system is outdated, and Hon. Biodun Omoleye’s bill is the first serious step toward correcting this imbalance.
Moreso, for decades, the people of Ijero LG has a gentleman’s zoning arrangement that rotates the single House of Assembly seat among the twelve wards of the local government. The arrangement is meant to promote fairness among the wards. Under this system, Iloro/Ijurin Ward, which produced Hon. Mike Omoleye in 1983 who served only three months before the military coup, would not have been able to produce another representative until after another forty-eight years — that is, four years multiplied by twelve wards — meaning its turn would have come only in 2041.
Even though it was not yet their turn, It took the special intervention of former Gov. Ayo Fayose, who used his authority to produce another Assembly member from the ward, for the people of Iloro/Ijurin to have been able to have another representation again. If not so, that ward would still be waiting today.
The Iloro/Ijurin Ward alone is made up of two major towns — part of Iloro and the whole of Ijurin — both rich in history, culture, and population. Together, they are as large as some entire local governments like Emure, Ise or Efon, which have several wards and enjoy full representation. Is this fair to a people whose contributions to the state’s growth cannot be ignored?
This is why the Creation of State Constituencies Bill 2025 is so important. It recognizes the reality that population, land size, and the number of communities should determine how many representatives a local government should have. It is not about favoritism or politics; it is about justice and fairness. The bill proposes that new state constituencies be created in proportion to these factors so that every part of the state will have a voice in lawmaking and governance.
If the bill becomes law, it will give towns like those in Ijero the chance to produce two House of Assembly members and have their voices heard. It will break the chains of long-standing marginalization, and enable Ijero local government to have two state constituencies. It will also strengthen democracy by making it more inclusive and by ensuring that development is spread evenly across all parts of the state.
Representation is not just about filling seats; it is about giving people access to participate in governance. When more constituencies are created, more people will have the opportunity to be heard, to be part of decision-making, and to influence the policies that affect their lives. This is what Hon. Biodun Omoleye is fighting for — not for himself, but for the people whose voices have been ignored for too long.
Hon. Biodun Omoleye deserves the full support of all well-meaning citizens of Ijero local government. His courage to sponsor such a bill at the national level shows true leadership and deep understanding of what representation means. He is standing up for fairness, equality, and the right of every community to have a say in the affairs of their state.
The National Assembly, state governments, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must give this bill serious attention. It is not a demand for privilege but a call for balance. It is a cry for justice from people who have waited for too long to be fairly represented. It is time to correct the errors of the past and give every community — including the long-neglected ones — their rightful place in the political structure of the state.
Ijero has produced leaders, scholars, and citizens who have served Ekiti and Nigeria with loyalty and dedication. What we now ask for is not charity, but fairness. Let representation match population. Let development follow justice. Let no part of Ekiti be left behind because of an outdated arrangement that no longer reflects today’s realities.
Hon. Omoleye has taken the first step; the rest of us must lend him our voices. Because when one part of the state is shortchanged, the whole state suffers. But when justice is done for one, progress comes to all.
Idowu Ephraim Faleye|EphraimHill DataBlog-Freelance writer, Independent stories, Data-driven Insights
