The House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Amendment has rejected all 31 proposals for state creation, citing failure to meet constitutional requirements.
The proposals were submitted to the House on February 6, 2025.
Speaking on Friday at a retreat for panel members in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Committee, said the proposals reflected the aspirations of various regions but did not comply with Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines the criteria for state creation.
TheCable had exclusively reported that the proposals were deemed unviable from the start, as none met the constitutional procedures required to progress.
At the retreat, Kalu stated that the proposals must be resubmitted in “strict adherence” to constitutional guidelines by March 5.
“Although we have received 31 requests for state creation, none of these requests met the constitutional requirements for amendment. Therefore, we have since extended the submission date to the 5th of March, 2025,” he said.
He added that the committee might consider further extending the deadline depending on discussions at the retreat.
“So, at the end of this retreat, it will be one of the things we will look into, whether or not we will extend the time,” he said. “But let it be a notice that none of the applications followed the conditions laid out by Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Kalu also said the committee is reviewing 151 constitutional amendment bills covering issues such as the federal structure, power devolution, local government autonomy, revenue allocation, judicial and electoral reforms, security, gender rights, and human rights.
“A proactive, cooperative approach will ensure seamless legislative processes and comprehensive legal reforms,” he said.
He added that the committee has scheduled zonal and national public hearings across the six geopolitical zones on the constitutional amendment bills.
