Nigeria Sends 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill to States

Nigeria's National Assembly has transmitted the 2026 Constitution alteration bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration, marking a critical step in the country's constitutional amendment process. The transmission was carried out on September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, following a directive from the assembly's leadership. The bill, formally titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 Sixth Alteration Bill, 2026, now requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the state legislatures, as mandated by Section 9 of the Constitution. In a statement, Ogunlana clarified that while the National Assembly expects the state assemblies to communicate their resolutions within 30 days, this is an administrative timeframe and not a constitutional deadline. The Constitution does not prescribe a specific period for state legislatures to respond. Among the proposals is a State Police Bill, which includes provisions for the creation of state-level police forces.