Nigerian Senate Denies Proposing Creation Of 20 New States, Clarifies Its Position
The Senate has refuted allegations that it has suggested the creation of 20 new states, claiming that the upper house has been “grossly” misrepresented.”
The report, according to Senate spokesman Ajibola Basiru, is a misinterpretation of the conclusion made by the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
Section 8 of the Nigerian Constitution, according to the legislator representing Osun Central, spells forth the procedures for creating new states.
“The report is a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states,” the statement maintained.
“Far from recommending creation of any state, the Senate Committee, while acknowledging receipts of several Bills proposing creation of new states, decided that it is not in a position to recommend or proposed the creation of any state unless there is compliance with the provisions of section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic as amended.
“In view of the above, the Senate Committee is not in a position to propose creation of any state as reported.
“Rather the committee decided to refer the requests received to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure compliance with section 8 of the Constitution by conducting referendum in the areas if the requests supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly in the area.”
Several reports had suggested that the Senate told INEC to conduct a referendum for the creation of the new states.
According to reports, the Senate made the decision to recognize “the true will of Nigerians.”
ITAI State from Akwa Ibom; State status for the FCT; Katagum State from Bauchi; Okura State from Kogi East; Adada State from Enugu; Gurara State from Kaduna South; and Ijebu State from Ogun are among the states recommended by the Senate.
Others are Ibadan State in Oyo, Tiga State in Kano, Ghari State in Kano, Amana State in Adamawa, Gongola State in Adamawa, Mambilla State in Taraba, Savannah State in Borno, Okun State in Kogi, Etiti State in the South East Zone, Orashi State in Imo and Anambra, and Njaba in the current Imo.
The rest were supposed to be Aba State in Abia, Anioma State in Delta, Torogbene and Oil River in Bayelsa Delta and Rivers, and Bayajida State in Katsina, Jigawa, and Zamfara.
