Bauchi governor signs bill creating 29 new LGAs, seeks National Assembly ratification
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has signed into law a bill establishing 29 new local government areas (LGAs) in the state.
The legislation, which was passed by the Bauchi State House of Assembly and signed by the governor on October 28, 2025, seeks to expand the number of constitutionally recognised local councils in the state from 20 to 49.
Following the governor’s assent, the state government has forwarded the law to the National Assembly for ratification as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
A copy of the forwarding letter obtained by journalists in Bauchi shows that the Acting Deputy Clerk of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Musa Yerima, transmitted the law to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Senator Barau Jibrin, on October 29, 2025.
The letter, referenced BASHA/FIN/S/5/T and titled “Forwarding of Bill,” formally notified the National Assembly that the Bauchi State House of Assembly had passed the bill into law.
“I am pleased to inform you that the Bauchi State House of Assembly has passed into law, a bill to provide for the creation of 29 new additional local government areas in Bauchi State, 2025,” Yerima wrote.
He further stated that the newly created LGAs listed in Schedule II of the law “remain inchoate until such time as the National Assembly shall pass an Act to make consequential provisions” in line with Section 8(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“The said law is hereby forwarded to the Chairman, Joint Committee on Constitution Review, National Assembly, for further necessary action, please,” the letter said.
Yerima added that the bill was passed by the House and assented to by the governor in accordance with Subsection (3) of Section 100 of the 1999 Constitution.
With 20 constitutionally recognised LGAs, Bauchi will become one of the few Nigerian states with 49 council areas if the National Assembly approves the creation of the new ones.
The state government said the move was designed to bring governance closer to the people, improve development at the grassroots, and address demographic and administrative pressures in rapidly growing communities.
Under Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, state assemblies may propose the creation of new LGAs, but such proposals must be ratified by the National Assembly before they attain legal recognition and can be reflected in the Constitution’s First Schedule.
Bauchi’s initiative comes amid renewed calls for the decentralisation of governance and constitutional reform to grant states greater autonomy over local administration.
