National Assembly Advances 2026 Constitution Amendment With Transmission to States

The National Assembly has forwarded the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration.

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, announced the development in a statement issued on Wednesday.

According to Ogunlana, the transmission followed a directive from the leadership of the National Assembly and complied with the constitutional procedure for altering the nation’s supreme law.

He cited Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly to approve a constitutional amendment before the National Assembly can pass it.

The Clerk asked the state assemblies to consider the Bill through their respective legislative processes.

He also directed them to forward their resolutions to the National Assembly after completing their deliberations.

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Ogunlana explained that the Constitution does not establish a specific timeframe for state legislatures to communicate their decisions on constitutional amendment Bills.

However, he said the National Assembly expects the state assemblies to respond within 30 days of receiving the proposal.

The Clerk clarified that the 30-day period is administrative and does not amount to a constitutional deadline.

The National Assembly said the transmission reflected its recognition of the role and independence of the state Houses of Assembly in the amendment process.

It said the arrangement would enable the state legislatures to exercise their constitutional responsibilities in an orderly manner.

The federal lawmakers said they would await the resolutions of all 36 state assemblies before taking further action on the Bill.

They also reiterated their commitment to following constitutional requirements and due process throughout the exercise.

The National Assembly further stressed the importance of cooperation among institutions and respect for the distinct legislative responsibilities assigned to the federal and state levels of government.