The 2026 constitutional amendment process has moved to the state level following the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, announced the development in a statement released on Wednesday.
According to Ogunlana, the transmission was carried out in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution. The provision requires the approval of not less than two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly before the National Assembly can complete the passage of a constitutional amendment.
The Clerk urged the state legislatures to subject the Bill to consideration through their respective legislative procedures.
He further requested that each state assembly communicate its resolution to the National Assembly after completing its deliberations.
Ogunlana noted that the Constitution does not establish a fixed deadline for state Houses of Assembly to submit their positions on constitutional amendment proposals.
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However, he said the assemblies are expected to respond within 30 days from the date they receive the Bill.
He clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative target rather than a constitutional requirement.
The National Assembly said it was conscious of the constitutional authority and independence of state legislatures in the amendment process.
It explained that the transmission would allow the state assemblies to perform their constitutional responsibilities in an orderly manner.
The National Assembly will consider the resolutions submitted by the 36 state legislatures before deciding on subsequent steps.
The lawmakers also reiterated their commitment to ensuring that the amendment process remains within the framework of the Constitution, while promoting due process, cooperation between institutions and respect for the responsibilities assigned to each tier of government.