Did Senate Approve Creation of 31 New States in Nigeria? Fact Emerges

Did Senate Approve Creation of 31 New States in Nigeria? Fact Emerges

  • The Senate has dismissed the claim that the National Assembly has passed a proposal for 31 new states in Nigeria
  • Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu dismissed the report as fake news, noting that the process of state creation involves a rigorous constitutional amendment
  • According to Adaramodu, such approval also requires the support of two-thirds of members across the state Houses of Assembly

The National Assembly has denied the report that it has approved the creation of 31 new states in Nigeria.

Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu clarified that state creation is not solely within the Senate’s power and must undergo several constitutional amendment stages.

The Senate, led by Godswill Akpabio, denies report that it approved 31 new states in Nigeria.
Senate under Godswill Akpabio denies passing bill to create 31 new states in Nigeria. Photo Credit: @SPNigeria
Source: Twitter

According to BBC Pidgin, Adaramodu explained that any proposal to create a new state must secure the approval of a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the state Houses of Assembly, describing it as a thorough and rigorous process.

Senate reacts to report of new states

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Adaramodu's comment was a response to a viral message on WhatsApp, which claimed that the Senate had passed the bill to create 31 new states across the country. In February 2025, the House of Representatives said it had received proposals to create 31 new states in Nigeria.

Benjamin Kalu, chairman of the constitutional review committee, disclosed that proposals have been submitted for the creation of six new states in the North Central, four in the North East, five each in the North West and South East, four in the South-South, and seven in the South West.

If approved by the National Assembly, the proposal would increase Nigeria’s number of states to 67, surpassing the 50 states currently in the United States. However, it remains unclear when the process will be concluded, as Senator Adaramodu noted that state creation is a lengthy procedure involving multiple stages of constitutional amendment.

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Analyst reacts to proposed 31 new states

Reacting to the development, Rotimi Sulyman condemned the proposal, stating that creating new states was not Nigeria’s immediate priority.

In an interview with Legit.ng, he instead advocated for the implementation of true federalism.

He said:

"I don’t think the idea serves any productive purpose. To what end would the creation of more 31 states be, when the existing 36 states are mostly not viable and live on handouts from the federal government?
"I think if we are serious, we should be talking of true federalism to the letter, which would entail every part of the country harnessing its resources for economic and national developments."
Godswill Akpabio-led senate denies approving creation of 31 new states as rumoured.
Fresh twist as Godswill Akpabio-led senate denies approving creation of 31 new states as rumoured. Photo Credit: @officialABAT
Source: Twitter

Inclusion, strategy better than state expansion - Expert

Democracy and governance expert, Umar Muhammad Lawal, has cautioned against the rush to create new states in Nigeria, urging the government to focus on inclusive governance and sustainability rather than expansion.

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"What we need now is not more states," he told Legit.ng.
"Although, it is important for development, but at the same time, if we can make sure that in all our processes, all our governance structures, all those minority groups are included, there will be no need for them to feel segregated or abandoned."

He expressed concern over Nigeria’s current political climate, saying access to appointments and infrastructure is often monopolised.

"But in a situation whereby the winner takes all, like we are seeing in the political arena, and in terms of appointment and infrastructural development, it creates that fear of marginalisation."

Lawal suggested that strategic reforms, not new states, would serve the country better.

However, he admitted that if the government and citizens genuinely determine a need for additional states, it must be approached with fiscal realism.

"If the government and people feel that there is a need for us to create additional states at the moment, if they can survive on their own, it's a welcome development. But if they can't without federal allocation, then it is not something that we are looking forward to.”

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Deputy Senate president speaks on new state

Legit.ng earlier reported that Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau vowed to work with Senator Muntari Dan-Dutse to actualise the establishment of a new 'Karaduwa' state.

Barau noted that the agitation of the Karaduwa people was welcome. He said the people were agrarian and stood to gain immensely from the proposed move.

According to Barau, the creation of a new state would be appropriate. He added that it would bring meaningful development to the people in that part of Katsina.

Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a democracy and governance expert for this report.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Bada Yusuf avatar

Bada Yusuf (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Yusuf Amoo Bada is an accomplished writer with over 5 years of experience in journalism and writing, he is also politics and current affairs editor with Legit.ng. He holds B.A in Literature from OAU, and Diploma in Mass Comm. He has obtained certificates in Google's Advance Digital Reporting, News Lab workshop. He previously worked as an Editor with OperaNews. Best Editor of the Year for Politics and Current Affairs Desk (2023) by Legit.ng. Contact: bada.yusuf.amoo@corp.legit.ng

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