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Nigerians that your application before us is ineffective.
“Therefore, you need to comply with section 8 so that when we don’t consider the State creation request, you will know where it emanated from. So, the notice to the public is that you have between now and March 5 to enable you cure the gaps in your application for state creation.
“And if you go to section 8, you will see two-third, the majority of the Senate, that of the House of Representatives, the State Houses of Assembly as well as the local government councils.
“So, let’s follow that procedure and then present these applications again. We are going to the Newspapers to place public announcements so that those who want new States to be created should follow the guidelines as laid down by the constitutional provisions.
“We are giving them one month which is about March 5 to cure the gaps in the applications. The applications as they are will not be able to fly because we are strict with complying with the dictates of the provisions of the constitution. They should fill in the gaps and bring it back before the March 5.
“There is no alternative to compliance with the provisions of the Constitution. The position of the Constitution is sacrosanct. It’s our grundnorm. If it says you have to follow certain procedures in line with the rule of law and observing its supremacy, you have to comply with the provision of the Constitution.
“Those who are desirous of State creation should comply with the procedures laid down in the constitution and bring it back. There is a window we have created which is one month. It is sufficient enough for people to cure the gaps in their applications and we will reconsider it.”
“I think it reflects the desire to enjoy the dividends of democracy. People want the dividends of democracy to trickle down the grassroots and they feel in their minds that the best approach is to have their own state.
“So, if you watch the space closely, you will see the President has been very intentional in creating development commissions across the country.
“Beyond the feeling of marginalization is a desire to have the dividends of democracy felt at the grassroots more than before and the instrument of state creation for some people is what they believe will be used as a tool to achieve that. That’s what many Nigerians believe.
“The more states you create, the more they will have access to dividends of democracy. Whether that is true or not. It is not for me to judge because you know I am a presiding officer and the chairman of the committee of the Constitution review and I can’t take a position.
“My position is to be the unbiased umpire who will listen to the desires of all Nigerians either through the bills presented to the parliament for constitutional amendment or the memoranda that we received from the public. So, when we do, we analyze and then take a position based on what the people want”.
– The Nation
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