The National Assembly has formally transmitted proposed constitutional amendment bills to the 36 State Houses of Assembly across Nigeria, setting a 30-day window for their responses.
This step is a mandatory part of the legislative process required to alter the country’s supreme law. Under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, any proposal to amend the document must secure approval from at least two-thirds of the state legislatures. This requirement means that 24 out of the 36 states must vote in favour of the amendments for them to proceed.
The transmission of these bills to the state assemblies marks a critical phase in the legislative cycle, placing the decision-making power in the hands of state-level lawmakers.
The constitutional amendment process
The procedure for amending the Nigerian Constitution is intentionally rigorous to ensure that significant changes to the nation’s legal framework enjoy broad consensus. Beyond the requirement for two-thirds of the state legislatures to approve the bills, any successful amendment must also receive the assent of the President.
The 30-day deadline imposed by the National Assembly for the states to respond creates a compressed timeline for legislative deliberation. State Houses of Assembly will be required to convene, debate the specific contents of the transmitted bills, and conduct formal votes within this period. This process often involves intense consultations between state legislators and their respective governors, as executive influence frequently shapes the voting patterns within state assemblies.
In previous attempts at constitutional reform, the path to amendment has often been slowed by political disagreements and debates over the scope of the proposed changes. Achieving the 24-state threshold requires not just legal agreement, but a level of political alignment across different regions and party affiliations within the federation.
The focus now shifts to the 36 state capitals, where lawmakers must determine whether to support or reject the proposed changes. The outcome of these state-level votes will dictate whether the amendment process continues toward presidential assent or reaches a standstill.
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