The Senate has debunked reports about the potential creation of 20 additional states.
While debunking the report, the upper chamber said their resolution was “grossly misrepresented” by sections of the media.
This disclaimer was released recently by the Senate spokesman Ajibola Basiru in a statement that said the report was a misconception of the decision reached by the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 constitution.
The statement read: “The report is a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states.
“Far from recommending the creation of any state, the Senate Committee, while acknowledging receipts of several Bills proposing the 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.”
According to Bashiru, Section 8 of the Nigerian Constitution spells out the procedures for the creation of additional states.
He said: “In view of the above, the Senate Committee is not in a position to propose the creation of any state as reported.
“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 a 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.”
Some of the states that the Senate proposed their creation are 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.
Others are Ibadan State from Oyo; Tiga State from Kano; Ghari State from Kano; Amana State from Adamawa; Gongola State from Adamawa; Mambilla State from Taraba; Savannah State from Borno; Okun state from Kogi; Etiti State from the South East Zone; Orashi State from Imo and Anambra; Njaba from the present Imo; Aba State from Abia; Anioma State from Delta; Torogbene and Oil River, from Bayelsa Delta and Rivers; and Bayajida State from parts of Katsina, Jigawa, and Zamfara.
