JUST IN: Deputy Speaker Kalu Gives Update on 31 State Creation Requests

Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, made this known on Friday during a two-day retreat for committee members held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

The retreat, organized from February 20 to 23, 2025, aimed to review ongoing amendment bills and strategize on the next steps in the constitutional review process.

The event was jointly organized by the 10th House of Representatives in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).

Kalu emphasized that while the requests for new states reflected the aspirations of various communities, none fulfilled the stringent legal conditions outlined in the Nigerian Constitution.

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

He said the committee has extended the submission deadline to March 5, 2025, to allow communities to revise their submissions and meet the required standards. He also revealed that the deadline might be extended further depending on the resolutions reached during the retreat.

Beyond state creation, Kalu revealed that the House Committee is currently reviewing 151 constitutional amendment bills. These bills, he said, aim to address various governance challenges in Nigeria.

"Some of the bills have passed the second reading, while others are still at the first stage,ÔÇØ he noted.