The Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, on Friday disclosed that no fewer than 55 requests for new states and 278 proposals for new local government areas are currently before the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
Barau, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, made this known during a two-day retreat for members of the Senate and House of Representatives committees on constitution review held in Lagos.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir, Barau said the volume of submissions underscores Nigerians’ desire for inclusivity, representation, and restructuring of the country’s political framework.
“We have before us 69 amendment bills, 55 requests for state creation, two proposals for boundary adjustment, and 278 requests for local government creation,” Barau said.
“This exercise reflects the commitment of the National Assembly to deliver people-centred and timely amendments that strengthen our democracy.”
The Kano-born lawmaker noted that the committee’s work was the culmination of two years of engagement with constituents, civil society groups, traditional institutions, and interest groups, adding that lawmakers must now sift through the proposals and make recommendations that uphold national unity and fairness.
He charged the committee members to approach the task with patriotism and open minds, stressing that the amendments must transcend ethnic or political affiliations.
“It is not going to be a simple task to achieve within two days, but I believe we can deliver the first set of amendments to the state Houses of Assembly before the end of this year,” Barau said.
“We represent constituents of diverse ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds, but the Constitution remains the grundnorm that binds us together as one nation.”
Barau, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged lawmakers to avoid divisive debates and instead focus on what best serves Nigerians.
“There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’. We are seated here as one committee, guided only by the interests of Nigerians,” he added.
The ongoing constitutional amendment process, now in its fourth phase since 1999, is expected to address state creation, local government autonomy, devolution of powers, and electoral reforms — areas long considered critical to Nigeria’s political and administrative balance.
If approved, the proposals will be transmitted to state Houses of Assembly for concurrence, as required under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
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