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No New States as House Committee Rejects 31 Creation Requests – Deputy Speaker

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…tackles duplication in constitutional review, plans public hearings

By Gloria Ikibah

The Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, has stated that none of the 31 requests submitted for state creation met the constitutional requirements.

Kalu, who also serves as Deputy Speaker, made this known during a two-day retreat organised by the 10th House in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, supported by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, on Friday.

The retreat which holds from February 20 – 23, 2025, provided a platform to assess pending amendment bills and plan the next steps in the constitutional review process.

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While acknowledging the significance of state creation in Nigeria’s governance structure, Kalu noted that the submitted requests did not meet the legal criteria for consideration.

He said the committee has extended the deadline for submissions to March 5, 2025, to allow for further input and possible revisions and that further extensions might be considered, depending on the retreat’s outcome.

Kalu also disclosed that the committee was currently reviewing 151 constitutional amendment bills, reflecting lawmakers’ ongoing efforts to refine governance in Nigeria. While some bills have advanced to the second reading, others remain at the initial stage.

“Although we have received 31 requests for state creation, none of these requests met the constitutional requirements for amendment.
“Therefore, we have since extended the submission date to 5th of March, 2025. But this retreat could in our resolution extend it further if we find out that there are still challenges that the people we represent in their efforts to make their voices heard.
“So at the end of this retreat, it will be one of the things we will look into, whether or not we will extend the time. But let it be a notice that none of the applications followed the conditions laid out by Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Kalu said.

Deputy Speaker also identified duplication of bills as a key challenge in the ongoing amendment process, and noted that some bills covered similar issues under different sponsors, while others overlapped in subject matter. To streamline efforts and avoid redundancy, the committee categorized the bills into key thematic areas:

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  • Federal Structure and Power Devolution
  • Local Government Autonomy
  • Public Revenue, Fiscal Federation, and Revenue Allocation
  • Nigerian Police and Security Architecture
  • Comprehensive Judicial Reforms
  • Electoral Reforms
  • Gender Issues and Human Rights
  • State Creation

According to Kalu, this classification will help lawmakers focus on amendments that align with national interest and legislative priorities.

RRecognising the link between constitutional amendments and electoral laws, the committee invited the leadership of the House and Senate Committees on Electoral Matters to the retreat.

Kalu stressed that any proposed changes to the Electoral Act requiring constitutional amendments must pass through his committee to ensure a smooth legislative process.

As part of the next phase, Zonal and National Public Hearings have been scheduled across the six geopolitical zones to allow Nigerians to contribute to the amendment process. These hearings will hold in:

  • North Central: Nasarawa and Niger States
  • North East: Borno and Gombe States
  • North West: Kaduna and Sokoto States
  • South East: Enugu and Imo States
  • South South: Bayelsa and Cross River States
  • South West: Lagos and Ondo States

Kalu therefore urged lawmakers to engage diligently, ensuring the final amendments reflect the will of Nigerians.

He reiterated the committee’s commitment to a transparent and inclusive process, expressing confidence that their work would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and governance.

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The Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Mr. Clement Nwankwo, commended the committee’s efforts and reaffirmed PLAC’s support for the review process.

“We are quite confident that this committee intends to deliver on the mandate that it has set for itself and for us it will be a key and great win to see the amendments to the constitution delivered within the timeframe that this committee has set.
“We’re looking forward to great deliberations. My colleagues who are co-consultants with me on this project have been meeting over several the last couple of months to deliberate and come up with suggestions for this committee to look at,” he said.

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ECKANKAR Nigeria Hosts the 2025 African ECK Soul Adventure Seminar in Port Harcourt

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

ECKANKAR Nigeria is delighted to announce that it will host the 2025 African ECK Soul Adventure Seminar, a landmark spiritual event, from December 12 to 14, 2025, at the Temple of ECK, Obi Wali Road, Rumuigbo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

This highly anticipated seminar, themed “Spiritual Tools for Mastering Life’s Challenges,” marks the first major international gathering following the succession of Sri Doug Kunin as the MAHANTA, the Living ECK Master, on October 22, 2025. Over 15,000 participants from across Nigeria, Africa, and the world are expected to attend.

The Guest Speaker at the event will be Armand Mpassy-Nzoumba, the Regional ECK Spiritual Aide (RESA) for Central Africa and Mauritius.

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The seminar will feature a rich lineup of inspiring talks, workshops, music, drama, laughter, and fellowship, offering attendees divine insights and practical tools for personal and spiritual growth.

ECKANKAR—The Path of Spiritual Freedom—is a worldwide spiritual teaching that helps individuals experience the Light and Sound of God, understand dreams, and find inner guidance to lead a more fulfilled life. The spiritual home of ECKANKAR is the Temple of ECK in Chanhassen, Minnesota, USA, while the magnificent Temple of ECK in Port Harcourt stands as a beacon of light for truth seekers in Nigeria.

All who seek to experience love, healing, and spiritual awakening are warmly invited to attend this life-changing event and explore the treasures of Soul.

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Just in: Three PDP governors missing at ongoing convention in Oyo

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Governors Ademola Adeleke (Osun); Agbu Kefas (Taraba) and Sim Fubara (Rivers) are yet to arrive the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) holding at Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba, Lagos.

They are among high profile members of the party not participating in the convention, which was preceded with conflicting court orders amid the crisis affecting the party.

Source: Nation

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PASAN ready for nationwide strike as 21-day notice expires

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The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has given a final notice to all its chapters nationwide, to embark on an indefinite strike as its 21-day ultimatum to state governors draws to a close.

The imminent industrial action could disrupt legislative activities across all 36 State Houses of Assembly.

The union’s action follows a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Bauchi on October 23, 2025, where members resolved to give State Governments a 21-day deadline—effective October 24—to begin implementing the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) and full financial autonomy for State Legislatures, in line with Section 121(3) of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended).

An official directive (Ref: PASAN/NS/SGO/01, dated November 12, 2025) confirmed that the ultimatum will expire on Friday, November 15, 2025.

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The National Secretariat expressed dissatisfaction that despite providing “ample window for compliance, reports reaching the national secretariat indicate that most State Governments are yet to begin the implementation as directed.”

In a decisive move toward enforcement, PASAN instructed its zonal leaders to activate full mobilization. In a memo titled “Directive to Mobilize for Industrial Action,” the union ordered all National Vice Presidents to “immediately mobilize all Chapters within their respective zones for industrial action as soon as the ultimatum elapses.

This action is to ensure full enforcement of the NEC resolution and to press home our demand for the implementation of CONLESS without further delay.”

The union also wrote to Rt. Honourable Speakers across the states (Ref: PASAN/NS/ADM/OF/22, dated November 13, 2025), informing them of the ultimatum’s expiration and its readiness to strike. PASAN lamented that “the said ultimatum expired Friday, 14th November, 2025, without any concrete response or positive action from most State Governments.”
While restating its preference for dialogue, PASAN urged its members to remain focused and united.

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“While we continue to pursue our legitimate demands, all members are enjoined to remain resolute, law-abiding, and united in the struggle for justice and improved welfare. In solidarity,” it said. However, it stressed that workers “can no longer continue under unfair and discriminatory treatment,” warning that the persistent neglect of its demands amounts to “institutional disregard for the legislative workforce.”
PASAN added that it has written to the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (CSSLN), alerting them to the looming strike and urging immediate intervention to avert a nationwide shutdown of legislative activities.

The correspondence, jointly signed by Comrade Mohammed Usman, National President, and Comrade Agugbue Ugochi, Acting National Secretary, and dated November 13, 2025, was titled “Notification of Expiration of 21-Day Ultimatum and Readiness for Industrial Action.” It was also copied to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Clerks of State
Assemblies, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and security agencies including the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Reiterating its call for urgent action, the union stated that “the patience of our members has been overstretched,” and urged the Governors’ Forum to collectively prevail on State Governments to implement CONLESS “in the interest of industrial harmony and the effective functioning of State Legislatures.”
With just hours left before the ultimatum expires, Nigeria’s legislative workforce stands on the edge of a nationwide shutdown. Without swift intervention from the governors, the strike could effectively halt legislative proceedings across the federation.

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