National Assembly gives states 30 days to consider constitution amendment bill
The National Assembly has transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, forwarded the bill on Wednesday, 16 September, following directives from the leadership of the National Assembly and in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Under the constitutional amendment procedure, proposals passed by the National Assembly requiring state approval must secure resolutions from at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before proceeding to the next stage of the process. This means at least 24 state assemblies must approve the relevant proposals.
Although the Constitution does not prescribe a deadline for state legislatures to return their resolutions, the National Assembly has set a 30-day administrative timeframe to facilitate the process.
In a statement confirming the transmission, Ogunlana said the National Assembly recognised the constitutional responsibility and independence of the state legislatures in considering the proposals.
He said the exercise would be conducted in accordance with constitutional requirements, due process and respect for the responsibilities of the different tiers of the legislature.
The National Assembly is expected to take the necessary further steps after receiving resolutions from the state Houses of Assembly.
The transmission marks another stage in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, which includes proposals addressing several aspects of Nigeria’s governance structure.
Among the prominent proposals in the current constitutional review is the State Police Bill, which seeks to establish a constitutional framework allowing states to operate police services alongside the federal police. The Senate passed the state police constitutional amendment proposal in June 2026.
The proposed system would retain a federal policing structure while creating a constitutional pathway for states to establish their own police services, subject to national standards and other safeguards contained in the legislation.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, has said the proposed reform is intended to bring policing closer to communities while establishing safeguards against abuse.
The state assemblies will now determine whether the constitutional alteration proposals secure the level of support required to advance through the amendment process.