The National Assembly has transmitted the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the Houses of Assembly of Nigeria’s 36 states for consideration and approval.
The transmission, carried out on Wednesday, September 16, marks the next stage in the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said the bill was forwarded to the state legislatures pursuant to Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The section requires constitutional alteration bills to secure the approval of at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly before the process can advance.
This means the proposed amendment requires support from at least 24 of the 36 state legislatures.
States Given 30 Days to Respond
The National Assembly has asked the state Houses of Assembly to consider the bill in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions after completing their deliberations.
Ogunlana said the state legislatures are expected to communicate their decisions within 30 days of receiving the bill.
He, however, clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative timeframe rather than a constitutional deadline.
The Constitution does not specify a fixed period within which state legislatures must respond to constitutional alteration bills. The timeframe was introduced by the National Assembly to encourage an orderly and coordinated conclusion of the process.
State Assemblies to Decide Independently
The National Assembly stressed that the transmission of the bill should not be interpreted as an attempt to dictate how state legislatures should consider or vote on the proposed amendments.
According to the Clerk, the state Houses of Assembly retain their constitutional responsibility to independently examine the bill and communicate their respective resolutions.
The next phase of the process will therefore depend on the decisions reached by the individual state legislatures.
State Police Proposal Among Key Issues
One of the major proposals associated with the current constitutional alteration exercise is the establishment of state police services.
The State Police Bill seeks to create a framework under which individual states can establish their own police services, while the Federal Police Service would continue to handle federal policing responsibilities.
The proposal has already passed through both chambers of the National Assembly and is now part of the constitutional alteration process requiring state-level approval.
Other constitutional reform proposals are also being considered during the wider amendment exercise, although not all have reached the same legislative stage.
The National Assembly has assured that the constitutional alteration process will continue in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
Once the state Houses of Assembly communicate their resolutions, the National Assembly is expected to take the next steps based on the outcome and the requirements of the Constitution.
