•National Assembly Complex, Abuja
The National Assembly has transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 states for consideration and approval, marking the next stage in the constitutional alteration process.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday, following a directive from the leadership of the National Assembly.
The transmission was made pursuant to Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, which sets out the procedure for altering the nation’s Constitution and requires the participation and approval of the state legislatures at a specified stage of the process.
Under Section 9, a bill seeking to alter the Constitution cannot be passed by either chamber of the National Assembly unless it is approved by resolutions of not less than two-thirds of the Houses of Assembly of the 36 states.
Ogunlana requested the state legislatures to give the bill the requisite consideration in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly upon conclusion of their deliberations.
Although the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which the state assemblies must communicate their resolutions, the National Assembly said the state legislatures are expected to consider the bill and transmit their decisions within 30 days of receipt.
The Clerk, however, clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative timeframe rather than a constitutional deadline.
“For clarity, the 30-day period is an expected administrative timeframe and does not constitute a constitutional deadline,” the statement said.
The clarification underscores the distinction between the administrative coordination of the process and the constitutional responsibilities of the state legislatures, which retain the authority to consider the proposed alterations through their respective legislative procedures.
The National Assembly also stressed that it recognises the independence of the state legislatures in considering the bill.
“The National Assembly recognises the constitutional responsibility vested in the State Houses of Assembly and respects their independence in the consideration of the Bill,” Ogunlana said.
He added that the transmission was intended to facilitate “the orderly discharge of their constitutional role in the process.”
The constitutional alteration procedure requires concurrence between the federal and state legislatures and adherence to the thresholds prescribed by Section 9 of the Constitution.
The National Assembly said it remained committed to ensuring that the process complied with constitutional provisions and was guided by due process and institutional cooperation.
“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,” the statement said.
The 36 state Houses of Assembly are now expected to consider the bill and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly.
According to the Clerk, upon receipt of the resolutions, the National Assembly will proceed with the necessary steps in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
