The National Assembly has transmitted the 2026 Constitution alteration bill to the Houses of Assembly of all 36 states for consideration, giving them an expected 30 days to communicate their decisions.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said, however, that the 30-day period was an administrative timeframe and not a deadline imposed by the Constitution.
The transmission was carried out on Wednesday following a directive from the leadership of the National Assembly, marking the beginning of the next stage of the constitutional amendment process.
In a statement, Ogunlana said the bill, titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, was forwarded to the state legislatures in accordance with Section 9 of the Constitution.
“The National Assembly has commenced the next stage of the constitutional alteration process with the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation for their consideration and approval,” he said.
Section 9 of the Constitution requires constitutional alteration bills to receive the approval of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly.
Ogunlana said the provision stipulated that neither chamber of the National Assembly could pass a bill seeking to alter the Constitution without approval by resolutions of at least two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures.
The transmission followed the passage of the proposed amendments by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Under the constitutional procedure, an alteration bill must first secure the support of at least two-thirds of the total membership of each chamber of the National Assembly. Where a bill originates in one chamber, it must be sent to the other for concurrence, with both chambers required to approve identical provisions before the proposal can proceed to the state legislatures.
The next stage requires at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly to approve the proposed alteration before the process can move forward.
The state legislatures are expected to examine the bill according to their individual legislative procedures and subsequently forward their resolutions to the National Assembly.
30-day period not constitutional deadline
Although the National Assembly has asked the state legislatures to respond within 30 days of receiving the bill, Ogunlana stressed that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific timeframe for such responses.
“The Clerk to the National Assembly has requested the state Houses of Assembly to give the Bill the requisite consideration in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and to communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly upon conclusion of their consideration,” he said.
He added that the 30-day period was proposed to facilitate an orderly and coordinated process.
“It is noted that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which the state Houses of Assembly are required to communicate their resolutions on a constitutional alteration Bill,” Ogunlana said.
“Nevertheless, in the interest of an orderly, coordinated and timely conclusion of the constitutional alteration process, the state Houses of Assembly are expected to consider the Bill and communicate their respective resolutions to the National Assembly within 30 days of receipt.”
“For clarity, the 30-day period is an expected administrative timeframe and does not constitute a constitutional deadline,” he added.
The National Assembly also said the transmission was not intended to dictate or influence how the state legislatures should determine their positions on the proposals.
“The National Assembly recognises the constitutional responsibility vested in the state Houses of Assembly and respects their independence in the consideration of the Bill. The transmission is intended to facilitate the orderly discharge of their constitutional role in the process,” Ogunlana said.
He said the National Assembly remained committed to conducting the exercise in accordance with the Constitution and the principles of due process and institutional cooperation.
“Upon receipt of the resolutions of the State Houses of Assembly, the National Assembly will proceed with the necessary steps in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution,” he added.
Assembly targets completion before 2027
The latest development comes about two weeks after the Senate said it intended to conclude the constitutional amendment exercise before the 10th National Assembly ends in June 2027.
The assurance followed concerns that preparations for the 2027 general elections could slow the review process, as well as criticism arising from previous constitutional reform exercises that failed to secure the required legislative backing.
Concerns have also been raised over the resources committed to previous amendment exercises and whether another review could fail to produce the required approvals.
However, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, told The PUNCH that the Senate leadership was committed to completing the process within the lifespan of the current Assembly.
“The proposed constitution amendments, already started by the 10th National Assembly, shall be passed in the life of this current Assembly,” Adaramodu said.
He noted that the 10th National Assembly would remain in office until June 2027, rather than January, and said the recently enacted Electoral Act had addressed issues relating to the timing of the 2027 general elections.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has also said preparations for the elections would not prevent lawmakers from carrying out their legislative responsibilities.
The proposed constitutional review covers a range of issues relating to governance, political restructuring and other aspects of Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
Unlike ordinary legislation, constitutional alteration is subject to the special procedure set out in Section 9, including approval by both chambers of the National Assembly and endorsement by at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly.
With the bill now before the 36 state legislatures, their decisions will determine whether the proposed amendments can proceed to the next stage before the current National Assembly’s tenure ends in June 2027.
