The Constitution Review Committee of the House of Representatives held a three-day retreat in Abuja, that started Sunday March 21 and ended Wednesday, March 23. The retreat was supported by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC). The Committee, led by its Chairman, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Ahmed Wase, discussed matters arising from the memoranda received from the public, as well as Constitution alteration bills referred to it for the Constitution review exercise. These subject matters ranged from electoral, judicial and local government reforms, to State creation, educational reforms, among others. The Committee particularly deliberated on improving women’s political participation, with the Committee committing to exploring options to improve the situation.
Another issue that has become a subject of public discourse is local government autonomy, which is critical to maximising the full benefits of federalism and fostering development at the grassroots. It will be recalled that the Constitution review exercise under the 8th Assembly introduced financial autonomy for State legislatures and State judiciary, although there are concerns that this is yet to be implemented across the country. These reforms are critical to observing the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers and ensuring the independence of the respective arms of government.
The Constitution review process in the 9th Assembly commenced in 2020, with the inauguration of Constitution Review Committees in the Senate and in the House, respectively, followed by calls for memoranda from the general public.
The indications from the National Assembly is that it intends to prioritise and take forward reform proposals for local government autonomy, electoral reforms, judicial reforms and women participation.