- He noted that none of the proposals met constitutional requirements
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has clarified that the Nigerian Parliament is not taking a position on state creation, stressing that it is up to the people to push their proposals.
Speaking in Abuja, Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, said the 30 state creation proposals read in plenary were simply to inform Nigerians of the applications received—not 31, as previously reported.
He noted that none of the proposals met constitutional requirements and urged applicants to comply with Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution before resubmitting. The House has given them until March 5 to address deficiencies.
Creating a new state requires a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate, House of Representatives, State Assemblies, and local councils. Kalu emphasised that Parliament would strictly follow constitutional procedures and would soon publish public notices to guide applicants.
He attributed the high number of requests to the people’s desire for more democratic benefits.
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