Constitution Review: Reps panel receives 31 requests for new states’ creation

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has received 31 state creation requests in the ongoing constitution amendment process.

Deputy Speaker and Chairperson of the Committee, Ben Kalu, announced this on Thursday during the plenary session.

Mr Kalu said the committee, in line with Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, will proceed with the process for requests that meet the constitutional threshold.

According to the list, there are seven requests from the North-central. They are Okun, Okura, and Confluence states in Kogi State; Benue Ala, Apa-Agba, and Apa in Benue State; and Federal Capital Territory State.

In the South-east, there are five requests: Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu and Aba States.

Furthermore, there are four requests from the South-south region,h comprising Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, and Ori and Obolo from Rivers State.

In the South-west, there is Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, Lagoon State from Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke Ogun/Ife-Ijesha from Oyo, Ogun, and Osun states.

In the North-west, the proposed states are New Kaduna and Gurara from Kaduna State, Tiga and Ari from Kano State, and Kainji from Kebbi State.

Meanwhile, there are Amana State from present-day Adamawa State, Katagum State from Bauchi State, Savannah State from Borno State, and Muri State from Taraba State.

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Steps for state creation

8. (1) An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new State shall only be passed if-

(a) a request supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in each of the following, namely –

(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives,

(ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and

(iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly;

(b) a proposal for the creation of the State is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the State originated;

(c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the States of the Federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and

(d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.

At present, there are 36 states in Nigeria. While the North-west geo-political zone has seven states, the North-east, North-central, North-east, South-south and South-west have six states each. Only the South-east has five states.