The 36 State Houses of Assembly have become the next major stakeholders in Nigeria’s 2026 constitutional amendment process following the transmission of the proposed alteration bill by the National Assembly.
The bill was formally forwarded to the state legislatures on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, with the National Assembly asking them to consider the proposals and communicate their resolutions within 30 days.
However, the National Assembly clarified that the 30-day period is only an administrative timeframe and does not constitute a constitutional deadline.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said the request was made to ensure an orderly and coordinated consideration of the proposed amendments across the states.
According to him, the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which state assemblies must communicate their decisions on constitutional alteration bills.
The development places the state legislatures at a crucial stage of the amendment process, as the proposals cannot advance solely on the strength of approval by the National Assembly.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional alteration bill must receive approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before the National Assembly can complete the process.
This means at least 24 state assemblies must approve the relevant constitutional alteration bill for the requirement to be satisfied.
Ogunlana said each state assembly is expected to examine the proposals according to its own legislative procedures before forwarding its resolution to the National Assembly.
He also stressed that the transmission should not be interpreted as an attempt by the federal legislature to influence or dictate how the state assemblies should vote.
“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 Clerk said.
The latest development effectively shifts attention from the National Assembly to the states, where lawmakers will now determine whether the proposed amendments can secure the required level of support.
The National Assembly said it would await the resolutions from the state legislatures before taking further steps in accordance with the Constitution.
The process underscores the special nature of constitutional amendments in Nigeria, which require wider legislative agreement than ordinary bills.
For now, the key issue is whether the state assemblies will complete their consideration within the requested administrative timeframe and whether the proposals will secure the constitutionally required two-thirds support.
