The House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Amendment has rejected all 31 proposals for state creation, citing their failure to meet constitutional requirements.
The proposals for creating 31 new states were submitted 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, stated that while the proposals reflected the aspirations of various regions, none adhered to the provisions of Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines the criteria for state creation.
This section clearly stipulates the constitutional requirements for establishing new states.
From the outset, the state creation proposals were deemed unviable, as none complied with the necessary constitutional procedures to advance to the next stage.
During the retreat, Kalu emphasised that the proposals should be resubmitted in “strict adherence” to the Constitution by March 5.
“Although we have received 31 requests for state creation, none of these met the constitutional requirements for amendment. Therefore, we have extended the submission deadline to March 5, 2025,” he stated.
He added that the committee might consider further extending the deadline, depending on discussions during the retreat.
“By the end of this retreat, one of the matters we will address is whether we will extend the time,” he said.
“However, it is important to note that none of the applications followed the conditions outlined in Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The Deputy Speaker also mentioned that the committee is currently reviewing 151 constitutional amendment bills.
He noted that these bills cover various issues, including 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,” Kalu remarked.
He concluded by announcing that the committee has scheduled zonal and national public hearings across the six geopolitical zones on the constitutional amendment bills.
