Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has disclosed that the 31 requests for state creation were not inline with the constitutional provisions.
This was made known by the deputy speaker on Friday at a two-day retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
“Although we have received 31 requests for state creation, none of these requests met the constitutional requirements for amendment.
“Therefore, we have since extended the submission date to the 5th of March, 2025. But this retreat could in our resolution extend it further if we find out that there are still challenges that the people we represent in their efforts to make their voices heard.”
“So at the end of this retreat, it will be one of the things we will look into, whether or not we will extend the time. But let it be a notice that none of the applications followed the conditions laid out by Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Kalu stated.
The event, coordinated by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre and supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, is targeted at reviewing amendment bills and strategise on the next phase in the constitutional review process.
He also stated that the House Committee is presently reviewing 151 constitutional amendment bills, noting that duplication was a major issue in the process.
zonal and national public hearings will be held all over Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, as a way of review process, with sessions map out in Nasarawa, Niger, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Sokoto, Enugu, Imo, Bayelsa, Cross River, Lagos, and Ondo states.
Kalu gave assurance that the review process would be done with openness and inclusivity, buttressing the need for legislative reformatory process that showcase the will of Nigeria Nationals.
“As legislators, we must ensure the voices of Nigerians are reflected in our constitutional reforms,” he stated.
