By Saminu Ibrahim
The National Assembly has commenced the next stage of the constitutional amendment 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 for consideration and approval.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
Ogunlana said the transmission followed a directive from the leadership of the National Assembly and was carried out in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Section 9 provides that 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.
The Clerk urged the state legislatures to consider the Bill in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly after completing their deliberations.
He, however, clarified that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which state Houses of Assembly must communicate their resolutions on constitutional alteration Bills.
According to him, the 30-day period given to the state legislatures to consider the Bill is an administrative timeframe intended to ensure an orderly, coordinated and timely conclusion of the process, and does not constitute a constitutional deadline.
Ogunlana stressed that the National Assembly recognised and respected the constitutional responsibility and independence of the state Houses of Assembly in considering the proposed alterations.
He said the transmission was aimed at facilitating the orderly discharge of the state legislatures’ constitutional role in the amendment process.
“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.
Ogunlana added that upon receiving the resolutions of the state Houses of Assembly, the National Assembly would take the necessary further steps in line with the provisions of the Constitution.
