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Constitution review: House panel promises inclusive process

Published 1 day ago6 minute read

July 13, 2025 by and

House of Reps

The House of Representatives has pledged that the views and aspirations of all Nigerians will be reflected in the planned amendments to the 1999 Constitution.

 Minority Whip of the House, Ali Isa and the  Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Sani Madaki,made the pledge during separate visits to  Borno State Governor  Babagana Zulum and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, ahead of the House Public Hearing on Constitution Review in the North East and North West.

 Speaking in Kaduna, Madaki urged  stakeholders from Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina states to turn out en masse for the public hearing, and stressed  the importance of inclusive participation.

“Our call is for everyone to freely attend and participate. We are here to listen to the wishes of the Nigerian people.”

 In Maiduguri,Isa said   the public hearing was  taking place across the country to get the opinions of the people in the ongoing constitution review process.

 Governor Sani, renewed his  call for greater control for the states over resources found within their territories, insisting it is the only path to true federalism, economic competitiveness and political stability in Nigeria.

Speaking through his deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, Sani said over centralisation has stifled innovation, discouraged local problem-solving and alienated citizens from governance.

 Governor Sani said  fiscal federalism is not a mere concession to the states but a constitutional imperative that must be urgently embraced if Nigeria hopes to unlock its vast development potential.

 “Our current federal arrangement does not sufficiently reflect the principle of subsidiarity — where powers and responsibilities are devolved to the level of government closest to the people,” he said.

 “States must be empowered not only to legislate on local matters but also to control and directly benefit from the resources found within their jurisdictions, while making constitutionally defined contributions to national development,” he added.

Governor Sani argued that this constitutional imbalance was at the heart of rising agitations and frustrations across the country, warning that ignoring these genuine yearnings could continue to undermine Nigeria’s unity.

He also advocated  the establishment of state police, recalling how he had championed multiple bills on state policing as a Senator in the 9th Assembly — including the Constitution Alteration Bill 2020 and the Nigeria Police Act Amendment Bill.

The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) expressed opposition to  calls for the  establishment  of  an Ecclesiastical Court for Christians and full control of natural resources to oil-producing states.

The Council’s strong positions were contained in a memorandum presented at the Public Hearing held in Kaduna. The memo was delivered by the Secretary General of the Council, Malam Nafi’u Baba-Ahmed.

While the Council welcomed the ongoing constitutional review as a vital opportunity to correct imbalances in Nigeria’s governance structure, it warned against reforms that could “reignite old rivalries, compromise justice, or destabilise the federation.”

Rejecting the proposal to establish Ecclesiastical Courts, the Council argued that existing British-style courts already cater adequately for  the Christian population. It said the move was unnecessary, duplicative, and wasteful, noting that the concept lacks legal and religious justification even within global Christian jurisprudence.

Kano State Deputy Governor Aminu Abdulssalam Gwarzo submitted a memo for the creation of a  state from current Kano  and the establishment of 26 new local government areas to bring governance closer to the people and address rising developmental demands.

He argued that with Kano’s burgeoning population and vast landmass, carving out another state was long overdue, while increasing the number of local governments from 44 to 70 would help deepen grassroots development and participation.

Communities in Adamawa and Borno states agitating for the creation of Amana State urged the Federal Government to fulfill its 64 years promise of a state to the people of former Northern Cameroon who chose to be Nigerians in 1961.

 The communities hitherto known as Trust Territories of the Northern Cameroon, chose to be part of Nigeria in a plebiscite organised by the United Nations on Feb. 11, 1961.

 However, their counterparts in Southern Cameroon who were part of the plebiscite chose to remain in Cameroon.

 Speaking at the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives in Maiduguri,  the Director General and Leader of the Amana State Movement, Alhaji Sali Bello, said they were promised a state status by Nigeria during the plebiscite.

 Sali said their counterparts who chose Cameroon are now having two of the 10 regions in Cameroon, while the promise to give them a state in Nigeria with Mubi as capital is yet to be fulfilled.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman Constitution Review Committee, Benjamin Kalu said the low representation of women in governance could  lead to underutilisation of talent, limited innovation, and lost opportunities for economic growth.

Kalu who spoke at a legislative evening on women’s political representation cited research which suggests  that Nigeria could gain up to 9% in GDP growth by 2025 with improved women’s participation.

He said Nigeria remains among the lowest countries globally in women’s representation in parliament, with only 20 out of 469 National Assembly seats held by women while several State Assemblies are without a single female member.

 He also lamented what he called the  First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) electoral system, party nomination practices, and entrenched socio-cultural norms which he said has created significant obstacles for women seeking legislative office.

 While expressing optimism that the special seats bill will address chronic underrepresentation of women by creating additional women-only seats in the National and State Assemblies as a temporary special measure, Kalu said the move will not create an additional financial burden on government.

According to him, the additional cost of 74 women legislators in the National Assembly is less than 1% of the National Budget and less than 5% of the National Assembly Budget.

Kalu added that legal and constitutional measures to improve women’s representation deserve urgent, broad-based support in the interest of Nigeria’s democracy, development, and global standing.

He said, “Nigeria could gain an increase of 9% in GDP growth by 2025 with improved women’s participation. That’s what statistics have shown. So which means we are losing 9% growth in our GDP because women are not participating.

“So this is one of the motivating factors for us to push for this bill. Some gender-sensitive bills, policies of government, would be better treated by women. And if we don’t have women in the room, it’s just like cutting a man’s hair in his absence.”

Origin:
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The Nation Newspaper
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