By Nanji Nandang
Nigeria’s Senate on Saturday, debunked a report that lawmakers proposed the creation of additional 20 states, affirming that the decision of the upper legislative chamber on the request for creation of more states was grossly misrepresented.
The senate disclosed this in a statement by its spokesperson, Senator Ajibola Basiru, stressing that the committee on Review of the 1999 constitution can not propose the creation of any state as reported.
“The report is a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states. 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” it said
Basiru, who doubles as the chairman, Senate Committee of Media and Public Affairs and member of the committee, said that the committee has assigned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create additional states in accordance with the several requests it received and to comply with Section 8 of the Constitution.
“For ease of reference, Section 8 of the Constitution provides: ‘An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new State shall only be passed if:
“(a) a request, supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in each of the following, namely -(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives, (ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and (iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly;
“(b) a proposal for the creation of the State is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the State originated;
“(c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the States of the Federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and
“(d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly” it added.
“Rather the committee decided to refer the requests received to Independent National Electoral Commission 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.
