The National Assembly has said that it would transmit the report of the ongoing constitution review to 36 state assemblies before December 2025 consistent with its design and timetable.

The parliament challenged all stakeholders with special requests to engage and lobby their state assemblies, noting that the National Assembly cannot successfully review the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) without their approval.

Leader of the Senate/Zonal Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of 1999 Constitution, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele gave this indication at the conclusion of the two-day zonal public hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution held at the Water Crest Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State.

Since the beginning of alteration of the Constitution in the Fourth Republic in 1999, devolution of powers, local government autonomy, creation of additional states and establishment of state police, among others have taken center stage at the zonal public hearing.

Addressing the stakeholders, Bamidele said “

He noted that the constitution review is not a jamboree contrary to some dissenting views across the federation, but was designed to make consequential reforms that can guarantee our collective prosperity, more efficient governance structure and sustainable development.

Bamidele also observed that the National Assembly would be handicapped to successfully complete the constitution review process if all the amendments proposed by the stakeholders were not approved by the two-third of state assemblies.

The zonal chairman of the constitution review committee, however challenged all stakeholders across the federation to lobby all state assemblies and their lawmakers to secure basic requirements for the successful amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

While he promised the National Assembly would process all the proposals it received so far and transmit them to the state assemblies, Bamidele challenged the stakeholders to decisively engage and lobby all the state legislatures if all the amendments would become part of the Constitution.

Bamidele said: “

Some of the dignitaries at the public hearing include the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Olarere Oyewunmi; Chairperson, Senate Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Oluranti Adebule; Chairperson, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Banigo; Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement, Senator Olajide Ipinsangba and Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire, among others.

Lateefah Ibrahim