Legislature
Sixth Alteration Bill Moves to State Assemblies
The National Assembly has commenced the next stage of the constitutional alteration 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 of the Federation for consideration and approval.
This is contained in a statement by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, and made available to journalists in Abuja.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, pursuant to the directive of the leadership of the National Assembly, transmitted the Bill to the respective State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, in accordance with Section 9 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
Section 9 of the Constitution provides, among other requirements, that a Bill seeking to alter the provisions of the Constitution shall not be passed by either House of the National Assembly unless it is approved by a resolution of not less than two-thirds of the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation.
The Clerk to the National Assembly requested the State Houses of Assembly 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 consideration.
The Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which the State Houses of Assembly are required to communicate their resolutions on a constitutional alteration Bill.
Nevertheless, in the interest of an orderly, coordinated and timely conclusion of the constitutional alteration process, the State Houses of Assembly are expected to consider the Bill and communicate their respective resolutions to the National Assembly within 30 days of receipt.
For clarity, the 30-day period is an expected administrative timeframe and does not constitute a constitutional deadline.
The National Assembly recognises the constitutional responsibility vested in the State Houses of Assembly and respects their independence in the consideration of the Bill. The transmission is intended to facilitate the orderly discharge of their constitutional role in the 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.