The 36 State Houses of Assembly have received the 2026 Constitution alteration bill from the National Assembly for consideration.
The transmission, carried out on Wednesday, marks the next stage in the constitutional amendment process.
The bill, titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, was transmitted to all state legislatures in line with Section 9 of the Constitution.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said the process requires approval from at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly before the proposed constitutional amendments can proceed.
30-day window is administrative
Ogunlana said the state assemblies have been given a 30-day administrative window to consider the bill and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly.
He, however, clarified that the 30-day period is not a constitutional deadline.
According to him, the Constitution does not prescribe a specific timeframe within which state legislatures must consider or communicate their decisions on constitutional alteration bills.
The timeframe was adopted as an administrative measure to promote an orderly and timely conclusion of the process.
Ogunlana urged each state assembly to consider the bill according to its legislative procedures before transmitting its resolution to the National Assembly.
State assemblies retain constitutional independence
The National Assembly also acknowledged the constitutional independence of the state legislatures.
It said the transmission was intended to enable the state assemblies to discharge their responsibilities under Section 9 of the Constitution.
The National Assembly said it remained committed to conducting the amendment process in accordance with constitutional provisions, due process and the legislative responsibilities of the different tiers of government.
It added that it would take the next necessary steps after receiving the resolutions of the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
