Benjamin Kalu, who is the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has stated that applicants who are looking to create new states must submit their applications by March 5 in order to address any shortcomings in their submissions.
Kalu stated in an interview with TVC News that the current applications are not sufficient and need to be changed in order to meet the requirements of the constitution.
According to Kalu, "We are giving them one month, which is until the 5th of March, to correct the gaps in the application. Because we are very strict about following the rules set out in the Constitution, the application in its current form will not be able to move forward. They need to fill in the gaps and return it before the 5th.”
He emphasized how important it is to follow the provisions of the Constitution, pointing out that there is no other option but to comply. “If the Constitution states that you must follow specific procedures in accordance with the rule of law and that the Constitution is the highest law, then you are required to follow its provisions. There is no other option."
Kalu encouraged anyone who is interested in creating a state to follow the procedures that are outlined in the Constitution and to resubmit their applications within the time limit that has been set. He assured that the one-month window is sufficient for applicants to address the identified gaps, after which their proposals will be reconsidered.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review in Nigeria suggested that the country should create 31 new states. If the proposal is approved, Nigeria will have 67 sub-national governments. This is because the country currently has 36 states, which includes the Federal Capital Territory.
Please watch the interview below starting at the 0:58 mark.