Creation Of 31 New States Dead On Arrival – Lawmaker (See Proposed Names, Locations)

• Creation Of 31 New States Dead On Arrival – Lawmaker
• None of the proposals met constitutional requirements, including required legislative signatures.
• Lawmakers confirmed the submissions were incomplete and procedurally invalid from the start.

The proposal for the creation of 31 new states in Nigeria has hit a dead end, failing to meet constitutional requirements even before reaching the consideration stage in the House of Representatives.

A principal officer of the House, who spoke anonymously, confirmed that none of the submissions satisfied the legal and procedural conditions necessary for further deliberation.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who also chairs the Constitution Review Committee, had previously announced during a plenary session on February 6, 2025, that the House had received the proposals. He directed that they be re-submitted by March 5, 2025, in strict compliance with constitutional guidelines.

However, a lawmaker told TheCable that the proposals were dead on arrival, as they lacked the fundamental requirements stipulated in Section 8(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

The lawmaker explained that for any state creation proposal to proceed, it must be supported by the signatures of at least two-thirds of the elected representatives from the affected areas in the Senate, House of Representatives, and State Houses of Assembly.

“None of this was done, which automatically kills the proposals,” he said.

He further clarified that the proposals were submitted through public memoranda and private members’ bills without meeting the constitutional prerequisites.

“Many media outlets misreported the situation, claiming that the House had created 31 new states. In reality, the deputy speaker only acknowledged the receipt of submissions and pointed out the procedural flaws,” he added.

It was also revealed that many proposals failed to specify the local government areas that would form the proposed states.

“Some people simply submitted requests without detailing the geographical boundaries. The process is more complex than just sending a memorandum to the committee,” the lawmaker emphasized.

Constitutional Process for State Creation

According to Section 8(1) of the 1999 Constitution, five key steps must be followed for a new state to be created:

1. Signatures Collection – The proposal must be signed by at least two-thirds of the elected representatives from the affected areas in the Senate, House of Representatives, and State Houses of Assembly.
2. Submission to the National Assembly – The signed proposal is forwarded to the National Assembly.
3. Referendum Approval – A referendum must be conducted and approved by at least two-thirds of the people in the affected area.
4. State Assembly Approval – The referendum result must be endorsed by a simple majority of the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly.
5. Final Legislative Approval – The proposal must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the Senate and House of Representatives.

None of the proposals met these constitutional conditions, rendering them invalid.

List of Proposed States

Despite the rejection, the 31 proposed states submitted to the House included:

North-Central:

• Benue Ala (from Benue)
• Okun (from Kogi)
• Okura (from Kogi)
• Confluence (from Kogi)
• Apa-Agba (from Benue South Senatorial District)
• Apa (from Benue)
• Federal Capital Territory (from Abuja)

North-East:

• Amana (from Adamawa)
• Katagum (from Bauchi)
• Savannah (from Borno)
• Muri (from Taraba)

North-West:

• New Kaduna (from Kaduna)
• Gurara (from Kaduna)
• Tiga (from Kano)
• Kainji (from Kebbi)
• Ghari (from Kano)

South-East:

• Etiti
• Adada (from Enugu)
• Urashi
• Orlu (from Imo)
• Aba (from Abia)

South-South:

• Ogoja (from Cross River)
• Warri (from Delta)
• Bori (from Rivers)
• Obolo (from Rivers and Akwa Ibom)

South-West:

• Toru-Ebe (from Delta, Edo, and Ondo)
• Ibadan (from Oyo)
• Lagoon (from Lagos and Ogun)
• Ijebu (from Ogun)
• Ife-Ijesha (from Ogun, Oyo, and Osun)
• Oke-Ogun (from Ogun, Oyo, and Osun)

31 new states

With the failure of these proposals to meet constitutional requirements, they have been effectively discarded, and no new states will be created at this time.

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