By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), has announced an extension of the deadline for the submission of memoranda concerning the creation of additional states and local governments in Nigeria.
In a circular signed by the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Review Committee, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the new deadline for submissions is now set for March 26, 2025, instead of the previously stated March 5, 2025. The extension follows requests from the public for more time, with Kalu reiterating the Committee’s commitment to supporting constitutional efforts in line with legal provisions.
According to the statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu made available to Precise Post on Monday, the Committee emphasized that all submissions must adhere to the requirements of Section 8(1) of the Constitution, which mandates that proposals for new states or local governments must be backed by a two-thirds majority of the affected area’s representatives in the National Assembly, State House of Assembly, and Local Government Councils.
Additionally, the Committee reminded proponents of local government creation that Section 8 of the Constitution also governs that process, specifically highlighting Section 8(3) that necessitates the submission of voting outcomes from the State Houses of Assembly and referendums to the National Assembly.
Memoranda should be submitted in triplicate to the Secretariat of the Committee, Room H331, House of Representatives, National Assembly Complex, Abuja. Electronic submissions should be sent to [email protected]. For further inquiries, proponents can contact the Clerk of the Committee, Wali Shehu.
The Committee stressed that only proposals that comply with the prescribed guidelines would be considered.
