House Committee Rejects 31 State Creation Proposals, Citing Constitutional Violations
The House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Amendment has dismissed all 31 proposals for state creation, citing failure to meet constitutional requirements.
The proposals, submitted on February 6, 2025, reflected regional aspirations for new states across Nigeria. However, speaking at a committee retreat in Uyo on Friday, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who also chairs the committee, emphasized that none of the submissions complied with Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution—a key provision outlining the legal framework for state creation.
According to Kalu, the proposals were “unviable from the start,” as they failed to adhere to the necessary constitutional procedures. He urged proponents to resubmit their requests with strict compliance by March 5, 2025.
“Although we have received 31 requests for state creation, none met the constitutional requirements for amendment. Therefore, we have extended the submission deadline to March 5,” Kalu announced.
He added that the committee may consider extending the deadline further, depending on discussions at the ongoing retreat.
“At the end of this retreat, we will review whether or not to extend the time. But let it be clear: none of the applications followed the conditions laid out in Section 8 of the constitution,” he stated.
Beyond state creation, the committee is actively reviewing 151 constitutional amendment bills aimed at reshaping various aspects of governance, including federal structure, power devolution, local government autonomy, revenue allocation, judicial and electoral reforms, security, and gender and human rights.
Kalu underscored the importance of a collaborative legislative approach, stating, “A proactive, cooperative approach will ensure seamless legislative processes and comprehensive legal reforms.”
