JUST IN: Reps Committee Considers Creation of 31 New States (Full List)

The House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has received 31 proposals for the creation of new states across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The announcement was made on Thursday during plenary, where Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu read a letter from the committee outlining the conditions for approving such requests.

The proposals include five 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. Among the suggested states are Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; and FCT State. Others include Amana (Adamawa), Katagum (Bauchi), Savannah (Borno), and Muri (Taraba). Proposals for New Kaduna and Gurara states from Kaduna, as well as Tiga and Ari from Kano, and Kainji from Kebbi, were also submitted.

In the South East, proposed states include Etiti and Orashi as the sixth state in the region, along with Adada (Enugu), Orlu, and Aba. The South South proposals feature Ogoja (Cross River), Warri (Delta), and Ori and Obolo (Rivers). In the South West, submissions include Torumbe (Ondo), Ibadan (Oyo), Lagoon (Lagos), Ijebu (Ogun), and Oke Ogun/Ijesha (Oyo/Ogun/Osun).

The committee emphasized that Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, outlines strict conditions that must be met before a state creation request can be considered. According to the letter, any proposal must be supported by at least two-thirds of the members of the Senate, the House of Representatives, the House of Assembly of the concerned state, and the Local Government Councils within the affected area.

The committee also reminded advocates for additional local government areas that Section 8 of the Constitution applies to this process. It stated that the results of votes from the State Houses of Assembly in a referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly for further consideration.

The committee urged interested groups to submit three hard copies of their full proposals to its secretariat at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, with electronic copies sent to the committee’s official email. It reiterated its commitment to supporting proposals that align with constitutional provisions and meet the stipulated guidelines.