The National Assembly has formally forwarded the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to all 36 state Houses of Assembly for legislative consideration.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed the development in a statement on Wednesday, following a directive from the leadership of the National Assembly.
He said the action was required under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines the procedure for altering constitutional provisions.
According to Ogunlana, a constitutional amendment cannot be completed by the National Assembly without the approval of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly.
The Clerk therefore urged each state legislature to examine the Bill in line with its own legislative rules and procedures.
He also asked the assemblies to forward their resolutions to the National Assembly after completing consideration of the proposal.
While the Constitution does not provide a specific deadline for state assemblies to submit their decisions, Ogunlana said the National Assembly expects responses within 30 days of transmission.
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He made clear that the 30-day period should not be interpreted as a constitutional requirement, describing it instead as an administrative timeframe.
The National Assembly said it recognised the constitutional responsibilities of the state legislatures and respected their independence in dealing with the Bill.
It added that the transmission was aimed at ensuring that the state assemblies could discharge their constitutional duties in an orderly manner.
The federal lawmakers said they would await the resolutions from all 36 state Houses of Assembly before determining the next stage of the amendment process.
They reaffirmed their commitment to conducting the exercise in accordance with constitutional provisions, due process and cooperation among the various institutions involved.
