House Of Reps Committee Receives Proposal For Creation Of 31 New States

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has received a proposal for the creation of 31 additional states to the existing 36 in Nigeria.

Chairman of the committee and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, disclosed this during plenary on Thursday while reading a letter from the committee’s clerk.

The proposed states include Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi State; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; FCT State; Amana from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi; Savannah from Borno; and Muri from Taraba. Others are New Kaduna and Gurara from Kaduna; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi; Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu, and Aba from the South East; Ogoja from Cross River; Warri from Delta; Ori and Obolo from Rivers; Torumbe from Ondo; Ibadan from Oyo; Lagoon from Lagos; Ijebu from Ogun; and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo, Ogun, and Osun States.

The committee outlined the necessary criteria for initiating the state creation process, emphasizing that any act of the National Assembly in this regard must be supported by at least a two-thirds majority of members of the House of Representatives, the House of Assembly, and the relevant Local Government Councils.

Furthermore, the committee reiterated that, in accordance with Section 8.3 of the Nigerian Constitution, the outcome of the referendum by State Houses of Assembly must be forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration.

Proponents of new states have been directed to submit three hard copies of their full proposals to the committee’s secretariat at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, as well as electronic copies via the committee’s official email.

According to Kalu, the committee has received proposals for six new states from the North Central, four from the North East, five from the North West, five from the South East, four from the South South, and seven from the South West.

The committee assured that it remains committed to ensuring the process aligns with constitutional provisions and that only proposals meeting the stipulated guidelines will be considered.