GROUP PROTESTS OGUN ‘ABORTION BILL’, URGES ABIODUN TO REJECT IT

A group has protested against Ogun State’s Safe Termination of Pregnancy Bill, calling on Governor Dapo Abiodun to withhold his assent.

The opposition adds to public debate over the legislation, which was passed by the state House of Assembly and forwarded to the governor for approval.

Although critics describe it as an “abortion bill,” its formal title is the Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Bill, 2026. Reports on its passage say it seeks to reduce maternal deaths, promote safe motherhood and establish conditions for pregnancy termination within a legal framework.

Supporters have presented the proposal as a public health measure intended to address preventable deaths associated with unsafe procedures.

Opposition has also come from the Ogun State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, which previously appealed to Abiodun not to sign the bill.

The disagreement highlights differing views about reproductive healthcare, protection of unborn life and the safeguards that should govern medical decisions.

The bill’s precise provisions are central to that discussion. Its title alone does not establish the circumstances in which termination would be permitted or the requirements healthcare providers would have to follow.

The governor’s decision on assent was not independently confirmed in the information reviewed. For now, the competing appeals place the focus on the legislation’s scope, safeguards and intended effect on women’s health.