The Senate is not in a position to create new states, according to a spokesman

The Senate claims it is not in a position to propose or recommend the creation of new states unless Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic, as amended, is followed.

Senator Ajibola Basiru, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said in a statement yesterday.

The statement, titled ‘Senate Committee Did Not Propose Creation of 20 New States,’ was issued in response to reports that the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by the Senate Deputy President, Ovie Omo-Agege, had recommended the creation of 20 new states in addition to the 36 currently in existence and Abuja.

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According to Basiru, it is up to the Independent National Electoral Commission to decide where a new state should be established.

“Far from recommending the creation of any state,” the statement says, “the Senate committee, while acknowledging receipt of several bills proposing the creation of new states, decided that it is not in a position to recommend or propose 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.”