By Ayo Kehinde
The House of Representatives has disclosed that all 31 proposals for new states failed to meet constitutional requirements for consideration.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, made this known on Friday during a two-day retreat for committee members in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
The Committee had announced on February 6 that it received requests for the creation of new states across the country.
However, speaking at the retreat, Kalu acknowledged that while these demands reflect the aspirations of various communities, none of the proposals met the legal criteria necessary for further consideration.
Although we have received 31 requests for state creation, none of them satisfied the constitutional requirements for amendment.
Therefore, we have extended the submission deadline to March 5, 2025.
However, this retreat may decide whether to further extend the timeline, depending on the challenges encountered by petitioners in meeting the required conditions.
Kalu added that at the end of the retreat, the committee would evaluate whether an additional extension is necessary.
However, he emphasised that all applications must strictly adhere to Section 8 of the Nigerian Constitution.
The House Committee on Constitution Review had earlier outlined the conditions that must be met for a state creation process to commence. Any proposal for state creation must receive the support of at least two-thirds of the National Assembly.
The request must also secure approval from the House of Representatives, the State House of Assembly representing the concerned area, and the Local Government Council within the proposed state.
In line with Section 8(3) of the Constitution, the outcome of referendums conducted by State Houses of Assembly must be submitted to the National Assembly before any request can be considered.
The Committee also directed that all proposals be resubmitted in strict compliance with these constitutional provisions.
Petitioners are required to submit three hard copies of their memoranda to the Secretariat of the Committee at Room H331, House of Representatives, National Assembly Complex, Abuja. Electronic copies must also be forwarded to the Committee’s official email.
With the submission deadline now extended, the Committee emphasized the need for petitioners to ensure full compliance with constitutional requirements before submitting their requests.
