Nigeria's extensive constitution amendment process has reached a decisive and crucial stage, marked by a joint retreat convened in Abuja that brought together federal legislators from the House of Representatives and the Senate with speakers of state houses of assembly. This high-level engagement signifies the "final sprint" in the constitutional review, transitioning the process from deliberation to concrete decision-making and legislative action.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who also chairs the Senate Constitution Review Committee, emphasized the paramount importance of the state assemblies' role. They clarified that the fate of the constitution alteration bills now largely rests on the actions and approval of these state parliaments. Kalu stated that this retreat served as the final gathering before the historic voting on the constitution alteration bills, urging participants that "After today, we move from deliberation to decision. History is watching us."

The review process has been comprehensive, involving extensive public engagements across the country. This included three earlier committee retreats and six zonal public hearings, which provided platforms for citizens, traditional rulers, civil society organizations, women's groups, youth leaders, political parties, and professional bodies to make submissions. A broad consensus on priority amendments emerged from a previous retreat in Lagos in October. These priorities include empowering local governments, improving elections, strengthening fiscal federalism, promoting gender inclusion, localizing internal security through innovative approaches like state police, ensuring equitable resource distribution, protecting the rights and dignity of every citizen, and guaranteeing local government autonomy so that development reaches the last community.

A critical constitutional requirement highlighted by both Kalu and Barau is Section 9 of the Nigerian Constitution, which makes state-level approval indispensable for any amendment to become law. They stressed that "No matter how brilliant or how necessary or how popular our amendments may be, they will not become law without the support of at least 24 out of 36 state assemblies. State domestication is the constitutional gateway." Barau reiterated that the retreat was designed to ensure state assemblies, considered "critical and strategic partners," are fully involved before bills meeting the constitutional threshold are transmitted to them, aiming to eliminate last-minute bottlenecks.

Looking ahead, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review is scheduled to brief the 36 state governors on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. Kalu reassured Nigerians that the parliament is committed to delivering a constitution that meets their expectations, describing the constitution under review as "the soul of our Republic." He called on the Speakers of the state Houses of Assembly to rise to the occasion, emphasizing their role as "gatekeepers of constitutional reform." The National Assembly intends to dispatch the final set of amendment bills to state parliaments before the end of 2025, underscoring a renewed urgency to deliver one of the most significant constitutional updates since 1999.

Political observers view these meetings as a strategic effort to forge a unified front between federal and state lawmakers amidst growing public pressure for reforms addressing governance, security, and accountability gaps. Kalu urged for a "unity of purpose" to deliver a constitution that secures Nigeria's future, strengthens federalism, improves governance, and ensures justice, equity, and progress for every Nigerian, today and for generations to come.