Ogun Assembly Passes Safe Pregnancy Termination Bill

The Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a bill aimed at reducing maternal deaths and improving access to safer reproductive healthcare in the state.

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The legislation, known as the Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Law, 2026, provides a legal framework for the termination of pregnancy in specified circumstances.

Lawmakers approved the bill during plenary on Thursday at the Assembly Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, with Speaker Oludaisi Elemide presiding.

The measure was considered after the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Wahab Haruna, presented the committee’s report.

Following the adoption of the report, lawmakers examined the bill clause by clause under the Committee of the Whole House before approving it for third reading.

Babatunde Tella moved the motion for the third reading, while Lukman Adeleye seconded it. The motion subsequently received unanimous support through a voice vote.

The Clerk and Head of Legislative Service, Sakiru Adabakin, then read the bill for the third time before the House.

The legislation seeks to promote safe motherhood, protect reproductive health rights and establish conditions under which pregnancy termination may be carried out in line with applicable legal indications.

With its passage, the Speaker directed the Clerk to transmit a clean copy of the bill to Governor Dapo Abiodun for his assent.

Meanwhile, four other bills passed first reading during the sitting.

They include the Gender Balance in Political and Public Offices Bill, 2026, the Group Liability for Offences of Violence, Extortion and Secret Societies Bill, 2026, the Victims’ Rights Bill, 2026, and the Ogun State Human Sacrifice Prevention and Prohibition Bill, 2026.

In a separate decision, the Assembly also approved a request concerning former Deputy Speaker of the ninth legislature, Dare Kadiri.

The lawmakers agreed to convert Kadiri’s previous removal from office to a voluntary resignation.

Kadiri, who represented Ijebu North II Constituency, was removed as Deputy Speaker in March 2021 following allegations of gross misconduct.

An ad hoc committee had investigated the allegations before the then Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, announced his removal.

However, the latest decision followed an appeal by Kadiri seeking to have the nature of his exit from the Assembly changed to resignation.

Presenting the Committee of the Whole House’s report, Chief Whip Omobola Bakare said the committee considered the former lawmaker’s request at its sitting on August 18, 2026.

The committee said the request was not intended to reopen the circumstances surrounding the 2021 impeachment or assign responsibility for the events.

Instead, lawmakers said Kadiri sought to close that chapter of his public service in a peaceful and dignified manner.

Bakare moved for the adoption of the report, while Bisi Oyedele seconded the motion. The House subsequently approved it through a voice vote.