National Assembly forwards alteration bill to states, starts 30‑day review
The National Assembly formally transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for their review and approval on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Clerk Kamoru Ogunlana forwarded the bill pursuant to Section 9 of the Constitution, which requires at least two‑thirds (24 out of 36) state legislatures to concur before presidential assent. While the Constitution sets no deadline, the National Assembly leadership established a 30‑day administrative timeframe to encourage an orderly process.
The transmission follows months of legislative pushes, with the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026 being central. Championed by President Bola Tinubu and overseen by a presidential working group chaired by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, the bill seeks to create a framework for decentralised policing. Proponents say it will bring policing closer to Nigerians while building safeguards to prevent existing weaknesses from being replaced by new ones, and give state governments clearer responsibility for local security needs.
State Houses of Assembly now have until roughly mid‑October to submit their resolutions. Citizens can track their state’s response and consider what form of community policing and accountability mechanisms they would support.