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The National Assembly has transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, transmitted the bill on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, following directives from the leadership of the National Assembly.
The transmission is in line with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, which sets out the procedure for constitutional amendments.
Under the provision, a constitutional amendment passed by the National Assembly must receive the approval of at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
This means that at least 24 state assemblies must approve the bill before it can proceed to the President for assent.
Although the Constitution does not set a specific deadline for the state legislatures to vote on the proposed amendments, the National Assembly leadership has given them a 30-day administrative timeframe.
The timeframe is intended to support an orderly and timely consideration of the bill.
In a statement confirming the transmission, Ogunlana said the National Assembly recognised the constitutional role and independence of the state legislatures.
“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 statement read.
The Clerk added that the National Assembly was committed to conducting the amendment process in line with the Constitution and the principles of due process and institutional cooperation.
“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.”
The statement said the National Assembly would take the necessary next steps after receiving the resolutions of the state Houses of Assembly.
The latest development is part of a wider constitutional reform process being pursued by lawmakers.
One of the major proposals under consideration is the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish a framework for decentralised policing.
The proposal has gained attention following presidential support and the establishment of a working group on a dual policing structure in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the proposed reform was intended to bring policing closer to communities while introducing safeguards to improve its effectiveness.
Gbajabiamila said the issue was no longer simply whether policing should be decentralised, but how it could be done without creating new weaknesses.
He also said the proposed arrangement would give state governments greater responsibility for the security needs of their residents.
At the same time, he stressed that greater proximity to communities should not come at the expense of justice or citizens’ rights.
