National Assembly sends 2026 constitution amendment bill to states

The National Assembly has transmitted the 1999 Constitution Review Bill, otherwise known as 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 transmission marks the commencement of the next stage of the constitutional alteration process, with the state legislatures now required to consider the proposed amendments and communicate their decisions to the National Assembly.

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana, confirmed the development in a statement made available to Parliamentary Correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ogunlana said the Clerk to the National Assembly, acting on the directive of the leadership of the National Assembly, transmitted the bill to the respective State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

“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.

12 areas targeted in constitutional review

The Sixth Alteration focuses on 12 thematic areas covering major aspects of Nigeria’s political, administrative, judicial and governance structures.

The areas include electoral reforms, judicial reforms, security and policing, local government administration, inclusive governance and citizenship, the legislature, devolution of powers, human rights, fiscal reforms, strengthening of institutions, traditional institutions, as well as the creation of states and local governments.

The transmission of the bills places the State Houses of Assembly at the centre of the next phase of the process, as their approval is constitutionally required before certain alterations can be completed.

Ogunlana explained that Section 9 of the Constitution sets out the procedure for altering the nation’s grundnorm, including the requirement for approval by not less than two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly.

He quoted the constitutional provision as stating that a bill seeking to alter the Constitution “shall not be passed by either House of the National Assembly unless it is approved by resolution of not less than two-thirds of the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation.”

30-day timeframe explained

The Clerk requested the State Houses of Assembly to give the bill the requisite consideration in line with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly after completing their deliberations.

Ogunlana, however, clarified that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which the State Houses of Assembly must communicate their resolutions on a constitutional alteration bill.

He nevertheless said the state legislatures were expected to communicate their decisions within 30 days of receiving the bill to support an orderly and timely conclusion of the process.

“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,” he said.

He stressed that the 30-day period should not be interpreted as a constitutional deadline.

“For clarity, the 30-day period is an expected administrative timeframe and does not constitute a constitutional deadline,” Ogunlana stated.

National Assembly to await state resolutions

Ogunlana said the National Assembly recognised the constitutional responsibility of the State Houses of Assembly and would respect their independence in considering the proposed alterations.

He said the process would be conducted in compliance with the Constitution and guided by due process, institutional cooperation and respect for the legislative responsibilities of the different tiers of the legislature.

“The National Assembly remains committed to ensuring that the constitutional alteration process is conducted in strict compliance with the Constitution and in accordance with the principles of due process, institutional cooperation and respect for the legislative responsibilities of all tiers of the legislature,” he said.

According to him, once the resolutions of the State Houses of Assembly are received, the National Assembly will take the necessary further steps in accordance with the Constitution.

“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,” Ogunlana added.

The latest development follows the National Assembly’s consideration of constitutional reform proposals, including the State Police bill, which was supported by 311 members across party lines on July 23, 2026.

Apart from the State Police proposal, the House had not considered or passed other constitution-related bills before proceeding on its annual recess, as provided under the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Constitutional requirements

Section 9 of the Constitution provides that the National Assembly may alter constitutional provisions subject to specified requirements.

For constitutional alterations not covered by the special provisions of Section 8, the Constitution requires support from not less than a two-thirds majority of all members of each chamber of the National Assembly, as well as approval by resolutions of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states.

For amendments affecting Section 8, Section 9 itself or Chapter IV of the Constitution, a higher threshold of not less than four-fifths of all members of each chamber of the National Assembly is required, alongside approval by the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all states.

With the transmission of the Sixth Alteration Bill to all 36 State Houses of Assembly, the state legislatures will now deliberate on the proposed amendments and communicate their respective resolutions to the National Assembly before the federal legislature proceeds with the next stage of the constitutional alteration process.