A Nation Divided? Presidency Breaks Silence On Sh*cking 31 New States Proposal

The Presidency has clarified that the House of Representatives did not propose the creation of 31 new states, contrary to widespread media reports.

Instead, the House received proposals for the creation of 31 states across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

During a plenary session, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, read out the letter listing these proposals. He also outlined the stringent conditions that must be met before any requests for state creation can be considered.

According to the committee, the proposals break down as follows: 5 from the North Central, 4 from the North East, 5 from the North West, 5 from the South East, 4 from the South South, and 7 from the South West.

The announcement sparked significant public outrage and debate among Nigerians and political stakeholders.

However, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, clarified that the House merely disclosed the number of proposals it had received from various interest and lobby groups, not that it had endorsed or proposed them.

Ajayi wrote:
“There was clear media misreporting regarding the events in the House of Representatives about state creation. The House did not propose the creation of 31 new states.”

“It’s important to emphasize that the House only publicized the number of proposals submitted by various interest and lobby groups.”

He also called out journalists for misrepresenting the facts:
“Journalists should ensure accurate reporting. Considering many reporters covering the National Assembly have been on this beat for over 20 years, one would expect them to have a solid grasp of parliamentary procedures.”