The House of Representatives during Thursday’s plenary clarified recent media reports suggesting that it is proposing the creation of 31 new states.
The House said this information is inaccurate and misrepresents the legislative process.
The Deputy Speaker, who also serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review (HCCR), announced that the Committee had received 31 proposals for the creation of new states but that these proposals, submitted as private member bills, do not represent the official position of the House.
The mandatory constitutional requirements for such bills to progress to the next stage of legislative scrutiny were read out by the Deputy Speaker for the notice of Members and onward action.
A statement issued by the House of Representatives via its Spokesman on Thursday stated that “The Committee has reviewed the proposals for the creation of new states in accordance with Section 8(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (As Amended). This section outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation which include the following:
New State and Boundaries
1. An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if (a) It is supported by at least a two-thirds majority of members representing the area demanding the new state in each of the following: the Senate and House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area, as received by the National Assembly.”
Regarding proposals for the creation of new Local Government Councils, he added, “Specifically, in accordance with Section 8 (3) of the Constitution, the outcome of the votes of the State Houses of Assembly in the referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly for fulfilment of state demands.”
The communication further directed that proposals shall be resubmitted in strict adherence to the stipulations. “Submit three hard copies of the full proposal of the memoranda to the Secretariat of the Committee at Room H331, House of Representatives, White House, National Assembly Complex, Abuja, not later than Wednesday, March 5, 2025,” he said.
For the avoidance of doubt, as with all constitutional amendment proposals, these submissions will undergo thorough legislative scrutiny, including public hearings, stakeholder engagements, and multiple levels of approval before any constitutional changes can be effected.
It must be noted that the Deputy Speaker, in his capacity as Presiding Officer at today’s plenary, read the announcement as a communication from the Clerk of the Constitution Review Committee, which he chairs. The Committee will align with constitutional provisions and will only consider proposals that comply with the stipulated guidelines.
The House stated that it remains committed to a transparent and inclusive constitutional review process that reflects the will of the Nigerian people.
