The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has unanimously approved the creation of an additional state for the South-East geopolitical zone, thereby increasing the region’s count to six states.
Legislative Action and Rationale
- Legislative Action: The Joint Committee on Constitution Review, co-chaired by the Deputy Senate President and the Deputy Speaker, held a two-day retreat where they reviewed 55 proposals for state creation across the country. Following extensive deliberation, the motion for the creation of an additional state for the South-East was unanimously adopted.
- Proposed State Name: The name of the specific proposed state was not mentioned in the report.
- Reason for Approval/Agitation: The approval was driven by the long-standing demand anchored on principles of equity, justice, and fairness. The South-East is currently the only geopolitical zone in Nigeria with only five states, fewer than the six or seven states that constitute other zones. The creation of a sixth state aims to rectify this imbalance.
The committee urged members to garner support from their colleagues in the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolution successfully scales the subsequent voting stages required for constitutional amendment.
