By Tgnews
In a significant development, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has announced that none of the 30 proposals for new states have met the constitutional requirements outlined in Section 8 of the Constitution.This means that the creation of new states, a highly anticipated and debated topic, has hit a major roadblock.
According to Kalu, the parliament has not taken a position on the matter, but remains committed to following due process, which requires a two-thirds majority approval from the Senate, House of Representatives, state houses of assembly, and local governments.
We are a people’s parliament, and we have not taken a stance on state creation
The current proposals, Kalu explained, fall short of these criteria, and applicants have been invited to resubmit their requests after ensuring full compliance with the constitutional guidelines. “We are a people’s parliament, and we have not taken a stance on state creation,” Kalu said, emphasizing that the parliament is committed to transparency and accountability. He also clarified that 30 applications, not 31, were received, noting that Ibadan State was mistakenly listed twice.
Applicants have until March 5 to address the deficiencies in their submissions, and Kalu urged them to take this opportunity to ensure that their proposals meet the constitutional requirements.
The matter, but remains committed to following due process, which requires a two-thirds majority approval from the Senate
“As of now, none of these proposals meet Section 8 requirements, which is why we are notifying Nigerians. If state creation requests are not considered, the public should understand the reason,” he added. This development is likely to spark intense debate and discussion, and it remains to be seen how the applicants will respond to the parliament’s decision.
