The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has revealed that none of the 31 requests for state creation met constitutional requirements. 

Kalu, who is also the Deputy Speaker, disclosed this at a two-day retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. The retreat, which aims to review pending constitutional amendment bills and strategize on the next steps. 

It was organized by the 10th House in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and supported by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Kalu acknowledged the significance of state creation in Nigeria’s governance but noted that the requests failed to meet the criteria outlined in Section 8 of the Constitution. 

Consequently, the committee extended the deadline for submissions to March 5, 2025, with the possibility of further extensions. He also noted challenges in the review process, including duplication of bills and overlapping subject matters. 

To address this, the committee categorized the bills into thematic areas such as Federal Structure and Power Devolution, Local Government Autonomy, Judicial Reforms, Electoral Reforms, and State Creation. And to ensure public participation, the committee plans to hold Zonal and National Public Hearings across the six geopolitical zones to reflect Nigerians’ voices in the constitutional amendments.

Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, expressed optimism about the committee’s commitment to delivering the constitutional amendments within the set timeframe.