The Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Constitution Review have swung into engagements with the public, holding public hearings across the geopolitical zones of the country. The House Committee is holding zonal public hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 1 and 2 in centres in each of the six geopolitical zones. Both chambers intend to hold separate National Public Hearings in Abuja, with the Senate hearing set to happen on June 3 and 4. The House is expected to follow soon after. It will be recalled that the Senate Committee held zonal public hearings across the Federation on May 26 and 27, which was attended by state governments, civil society organisations, trade unions, pressure groups, traditional rulers and other relevant stakeholders, who made presentations on the Constitution alteration bills before the Committee. Calls for devolution of power and restructuring were recurring issues at the public hearings.
Some governors and groups who spoke at the hearings, called for the establishment of state police, devolution of powers to state governments, creation of more states, local government autonomy, true federalism, among others. Meanwhile, some lawyers and observers have called for an overhaul of the Nigerian Constitution and the creation of a new one, as opposed to the amendment of the current document.