At least 24 State Houses of Assembly must approve the alteration before the process can advance
UNITY TIMES LEGISLATURE DESK
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Nigeria’s long-running constitutional reform process has entered a crucial new phase following the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the Houses of Assembly of all 36 states.
The National Assembly transmitted the bill on Wednesday, September 16, pursuant to Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, moving the proposed alterations from the federal legislative chambers to the state legislatures. The transmission is significant because constitutional alteration in Nigeria does not end with passage by the National Assembly.
Under Section 9, a constitutional amendment must secure approval by resolutions of not less than two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly — at least 24 states — before the process can proceed toward presidential assent.
The National Assembly is considering more than 30 constitutional alteration proposals. One of the major proposals already considered and approved by both chambers is the creation of state police, although the Clerk’s transmission statement did not specifically list the state-police proposal among the resolutions being transmitted.
The state assemblies have been asked to consider the proposals and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly. Reports indicate that lawmakers have given the states a 30-day administrative window, but the National Assembly has clarified that the period is not itself a constitutional deadline.
The next phase could therefore become one of the most consequential legislative exercises in Nigeria’s current political cycle. Constitutional reform affects the architecture through which the federation operates — including questions of security, governance, representation, institutional authority and the relationship between federal and state governments.
The transmission also places considerable responsibility on the state legislatures. Their decisions will determine which proposals move closer to becoming part of the nation’s supreme law and which fail to secure the required level of state concurrence.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the timing adds another layer of public interest.
The constitutional amendment process is formally a legislative exercise, but its consequences could extend into the next political cycle, particularly where proposed reforms affect policing, governance structures and the distribution of responsibilities between different levels of government.
For now, however, no proposed alteration should be treated as already part of the Constitution. The bill has entered the state-assembly stage. The next question is whether at least 24 state legislatures will say yes.
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