The House of Representatives has provided an update regarding the proposals for establishing 31 new states across the nation.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu noted that, at present, none of the requests for state creation align with the constitutional requirements.
However, the committee is committed to ensuring that all valid proposals are considered and has extended the submission deadline to Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, encouraging further input and participation. …CONTINUE READING
Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives said none of the 31 requests for state creation met the constitutional requirements.
According to the letter, the North Central has 5, the North East has 4, the North West has 5, the South East has 5, the South South has 4, and the South West has 7.
Kalu disclosed that the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has extended the submission date to the 5th of March, 2025.
The committee chairman made this known on Friday, February 21, 2025, at a two-day retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
As reported by The Punch, the event was organised with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre and supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
The event aims to review amendment bills and strategise on the next steps in the constitutional review process.
“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. But this retreat could in our resolution extend it further if we find out that there are still challenges that the people we represent in their efforts to make their voices heard.”
“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. 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,”