No state creation request meets constitutional requirements – Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu

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

 

Kalu made this disclosure on Friday, February 21, during a two-day retreat for committee members in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, where lawmakers gathered to review pending constitutional amendment bills and strategize the way forward.

 

The retreat, held from February 20 to 23, 2025, was organized by the 10th House of Representatives in partnership with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).

 

Acknowledging the significance of state creation in Nigeria’s governance, Kalu noted that while the requests reflected the aspirations of various communities, they failed to meet the legal benchmarks required for consideration.

“Although we have received 31 requests for state creation, none of these requests met the constitutional requirements for amendment,” Kalu stated.

 

In response, the committee extended the deadline for submissions to March 5, 2025, to allow for further input and possible revisions. He also indicated that the deadline could be extended further depending on the retreat’s outcomes.

 

“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 face in their efforts to make their voices heard," he said.

 

“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 also disclosed that the House Committee is currently reviewing 151 constitutional amendment bills aimed at refining governance in Nigeria. While some bills have progressed to the second reading, others are still at the initial stage.

 

A key challenge in the review process, he pointed out, is duplication, where multiple bills address similar issues under different sponsors, leading to overlaps. To streamline efforts, the committee has categorized the bills into thematic areas, including Federal Structure and Power Devolution, Local Government Autonomy, Public Revenue and Fiscal Federation, Revenue Allocation, Police and Security Reforms, Judicial Reforms, Electoral Reforms, Gender Issues, Human Rights, and State Creation.

Kalu stressed the importance of prioritizing amendments based on national interest and legislative relevance.

 

To ensure a comprehensive and coordinated approach, the committee invited the leadership of both the House and Senate Committees on Electoral Matters to the retreat, given the intersection between constitutional amendments and electoral laws. “A proactive, cooperative approach will ensure seamless legislative processes and comprehensive legal reforms,” he said.

 

As part of the next phase of the constitutional review, the committee has scheduled Zonal and National Public Hearings across the six geopolitical zones to give Nigerians the opportunity to contribute to the amendment process.

 

The hearings will take place in North Central (Nasarawa and Niger States), North East (Borno and Gombe States), North West (Kaduna and Sokoto States), South East (Enugu and Imo States), South-South (Bayelsa and Cross River States), and South West (Lagos and Ondo States).

 

Kalu urged lawmakers to work diligently and objectively on the amendment bills to ensure they truly reflect the will of the Nigerian people. “As legislators, we must ensure the voices of Nigerians are reflected in our constitutional reforms,” he said.

 

He also assured a renewed commitment to a transparent and inclusive constitutional review process, expressing confidence that the committee’s deliberations would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and governance structure.

 

Executive Director of PLAC, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, commended the committee’s dedication and expressed optimism about its ability to deliver meaningful reforms.

 

“We are quite confident that this committee intends to deliver on the mandate that it has set for itself, and it will be a key and great win to see the amendments to the constitution delivered within the timeframe that this committee has set," Nwankwo said.

 

“We’re looking forward to great deliberations. My colleagues who are co-consultants with me on this project have been meeting over the last couple of months to deliberate and come up with suggestions for this committee to look at,” he added.