- A federal lawmaker has reacted to the proposals for the creation of 31 more states in Nigeria received at the House of Representatives
- He cited two major reasons the proposals may not be given due consideration by the Green Chamber
- The lawmaker spoke days after Kayode Okikiolu, a veteran journalist, shared how Nigeria's map would look should the proposal scale through the National Assembly
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
A top principal officer of the National Assembly, who spoke on condition of anonymity, has described the proposals for the creation of 31 new states as dead on arrival.
According to the lawmaker, the proposals for the creation of 31 new states submitted to the House of Representatives, were effectively dead even before consideration.
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The principal officer of the house insisted that none of the proposals adhered to the laid-down constitutional procedures and could, therefore, not progress to the next stage.
Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the house and chairman of the constitution review committee, had announced during plenary on February 6, that the Green Chamber had received the proposals but said they “should be re-submitted in strict adherence” to constitutional stipulations by March 5, 2025.
Legit.ng earlier reported that the National Assembly's recent moves to create new states in the country may be the wrong step for Nigeria in the face of economic challenges.
Why proposal for new states may not progress
In an interview with The Cable, the lawmaker said the proposals were dead on arrival.
According to reports, none of the proposals added the “proof of support” required by the constitution, which is the signatures of two-thirds of serving legislators, both national and state, from the areas to be affected by state creation.
The lawmaker said:
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“The starting point, according to the requirements for the creation of states as contained in section 8(1)(a) of the constitution, is the collection of signatures from at least two-thirds of the elected representatives of the affected areas in both chambers of the national assembly and the state houses of assembly. None of this was done. That kills the proposals.”
New states' proposals is a shabby job, says lawmaker
Buttressing his point, the lawmaker shared concerns and wondered why the local government areas that will constitute the proposed entity, were not given due consideration in the proposal.
“The process is not as simple as just sending a memorandum to the committee,” the lawmaker said.
Read more about state creation in Nigeria here:
- How Nigeria's map will look if proposed 31 new states are approved, video trends
- State creation: Why Kano should be split into 5, ex-Buhari's aide gives reason
Full list: How 36 Nigerian states were created
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives recently began the debate to create new states in Nigeria.
Historically, all the states created in Nigeria were founded during the military regime, and it would be a success for the 10th National Assembly if it created one.
The list of the states created by the military has been compiled, including their years of establishment and how they were created.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
