The House of Representatives has refuted claims suggesting that it has proposed the creation of 31 new states, clarifying that the reports misrepresented legislative proceedings presided over by Deputy Speaker Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
In a statement, House spokesperson Hon. Akin Rotimi explained that the Deputy Speaker, who also chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review (HCCR), merely announced that the committee had received 31 proposals for state creation. However, these proposals, submitted as private member bills, do not reflect the official stance of the House.
He emphasized that the Deputy Speaker had only outlined the constitutional requirements necessary for such bills to proceed to the next legislative stage.
According to the statement, the Committee reviewed the proposals in line with Section 8(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which specifies stringent conditions for state creation.
Among these requirements, any proposal must be supported by at least a two-thirds majority of representatives from the affected areas across the Senate, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly, and Local Government Council before it can progress.
Regarding the creation of new Local Government Councils, the statement referenced Section 8(3) of the Constitution, which mandates that the outcome of votes from State Houses of Assembly in a referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly before any request can be considered.
Lawmakers and stakeholders were directed to resubmit their proposals in strict adherence to constitutional provisions.
The Committee instructed that three hard copies of the full proposal must be submitted to its secretariat at Room H331, House of Representatives, White House, National Assembly Complex, Abuja, no later than Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
“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,” the statement read.
Hon. Rotimi also clarified that the Deputy Speaker’s announcement was merely a communication from the Clerk of the Constitution Review Committee.
The House reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all proposals align with constitutional guidelines and that the constitutional