NASS Sends Constitution Amendment Bill To 36 State Assemblies

The National Assembly (NASS) has transmitted the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.

The transmission, carried out on Wednesday, moves the constitutional amendment process into its next phase and places the state legislatures at the centre of the exercise.

Clerk to the National Assembly, Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana, confirmed the development in a statement issued to parliamentary correspondents in Abuja.

Ogunlana said the transmission followed a directive from the leadership of the NASS and complied with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The proposed amendment covers 12 broad areas, including electoral reforms, judicial reforms, security and policing, local government administration and devolution of powers.

It also addresses inclusive governance and citizenship, legislative matters, human rights, fiscal reforms, institutional strengthening and traditional institutions.

The review further includes proposals relating to the creation of states and local governments.

According to Ogunlana, the State Houses of Assembly are expected to consider the bill in line with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly.

He said the Constitution requires approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before the amendment process can advance.

That threshold means at least 24 state legislatures must approve a constitutional alteration bill under Section 9.

Ogunlana, however, clarified that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific deadline for the state legislatures to communicate their decisions.

He said the NASS nevertheless expects the state assemblies to complete their consideration and send their resolutions within 30 days of receiving the bill.

The Clerk stressed that the 30-day period serves only as an administrative timeframe to promote an orderly and timely process.

He warned that the period should not be mistaken for a constitutional deadline.

“The 30-day period is an expected administrative timeframe and does not constitute a constitutional deadline,” Ogunlana said.

The NASS also acknowledged the constitutional independence of the state legislatures in handling the proposed amendments.

Ogunlana said the federal legislature would respect the responsibility of each State House of Assembly to consider the bill independently.

He added that the National Assembly remained committed to due process and compliance with the constitutional requirements governing alterations to the nation’s grundnorm.

“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,” he said.

The development comes against the backdrop of renewed efforts by the 10th National Assembly to amend several provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

Among the proposals receiving attention are reforms on policing, local government administration, elections, fiscal arrangements and the judiciary.

The State Police Establishment Bill forms part of the constitutional alteration process. The National Assembly had earlier passed the bill before the current transmission to the state legislatures. ([Vanguard News][1])

Section 9 of the Constitution requires a proposed alteration to secure a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the National Assembly and approval from at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly.

For provisions relating to Section 8, Section 9 itself or Chapter IV of the Constitution, the law sets a higher threshold of four-fifths approval in each chamber of the National Assembly, alongside approval from at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly.

The state legislatures will now consider the proposed amendments through their respective legislative processes.

Their resolutions will subsequently return to the NASS for the next stage of the constitutional alteration procedure.