By Zara Maisango
The National Assembly has completed work on a fresh round of amendments to the 1999 Constitution and is set to transmit the bills to all 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration, marking the final and most decisive phase of the constitutional review process.
Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Senator Barau Jibrin, alongside Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, confirmed that the review panels have concluded public hearings, expert consultations, committee harmonisation and technical drafting, clearing the way for state legislatures to commence voting on the proposals.
The new amendment package contains some of the most far-reaching reforms in recent years, including state police, fiscal federalism, electoral reforms, power devolution, and reserved seats for women in legislative houses. Others include judicial reforms, local government autonomy, and adjustments to the Exclusive and Concurrent Legislative Lists to give states more governance powers.
Under Section 9 of the Constitution, at least 24 out of the 36 state assemblies must approve each amendment bill before it can be returned to the National Assembly and transmitted to the President for assent. This phase has historically been the most challenging, as state assemblies’ decisions often determine which proposals survive.
Past constitutional amendment attempts show mixed outcomes: devolution of powers and electricity reforms previously received wide support, while proposals like local government autonomy, independent candidacy, and reserved seats for women were rejected or stalled in several states. Analysts say the new state police proposal, in particular, may generate intense debate across the states due to security, funding and political control concerns.
To avoid previous setbacks, the leadership of both chambers has launched extensive engagement with governors, speakers of state assemblies and relevant stakeholders. Senator Barau described the moment as “a critical opportunity to modernise the country’s governance structure”, while Kalu called on state lawmakers to “rise to the demands of history”.
The transmission of the bills is expected to commence immediately, after which state assemblies will begin public hearings and clause-by-clause voting. The outcome will decide whether Nigeria finally adopts the long-debated structural reforms aimed at deepening federalism and strengthening democratic institutions.
Tags
News