Senate Hasn’t Approved Creation Of New States

The senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Senator Shehu Buba Umar, has debunked reports on social media that the senate had approved the creation of 12 new states, describing the report as false and baseless.

Speaking with journalists in Bauchi yesterday, Senator Buba said the senate had not reached any decision regarding the creation of new states or local government areas.

He explained that the senate had constituted zonal public hearing committees on the review of the 1999 Constitution to gather citizens’ inputs, including proposals for state and local governments creation. These hearings were held across the six geopolitical zones, but the committees have yet to submit their final reports to the National Assembly.

“No such report has been presented to the senate. We have not sat to deliberate on or approve the creation of any new state or local government,” Buba stated.

The senator urged the public to disregard the viral report which falsely claimed that the senate had already approved 12 new states.

LEADERSHIP reports that even before the commencement of the zonal public hearings, the senate had received over 46 proposals for state creation, including a request for the creation of Katagum State out of Bauchi. However, the omission of Katagum from the list reportedly approved by the senate has raised concerns and caused confusion among residents of the state.

The misleading report claimed that the Senate had approved new states across all six geopolitical zones, including South West: Ijebu (from Ogun) and Ibadan (from Oyo); South East: Anim (from Anambra and Imo) and Adada (from Enugu); South South: Toru-Ibe (from parts of Ondo, Edo, and Delta) and Obolo (from Akwa Ibom); North East: Savanna (from Borno) and Amana (from Adamawa); North West: Tiga (from Kano) and Gurara (from Kaduna) and North Central: Okura (from Kogi) and Apa (from Benue).