The two committees on Constitution review in the House of Representatives and the Senate are continuing to work around the clock to meet their projected timeline for passing fresh amendments to the 1999 Constitution. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are reviewing proposals for constitutional amendments submitted since the call for memoranda was put out by the House of Representatives in July 2024.
The secretariats of both chambers have been meeting and putting finishing touches on several draft bills, which they intend to present to the public during a zonal public hearing at the end of April or the beginning of May 2025. Both chambers have assembled a team of consultants, including constitutional experts, top lawyers, professors, and academics, who are examining several key issues such as special seats for women, state policing, local government reform, electoral reform, and judicial reform, among others.
The committees have indicated that the constitutional review process will take place in two phases in the 10th Assembly. The first phase is currently ongoing, while the second phase will commence after Presidential assent is obtained for the bills passed in the first phase.
According to Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the committee on Constitution Review, the first phase of the amendments shall be concluded with Presidential assent obtained no later than the end of 2025.
At a retreat of the House Committee on Constitution Review held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from February 20th to 23rd, members of the committee expressed confidence in their ability to deliver on key constitutional reform issues within the given timeframe. According to Deputy Speaker Kalu, Constitution review will also need to involve citizens and civil society organizations, as he announced the creation of a National Assembly Civil Society Initiative to broaden conversations and ensure that citizens’ inputs are received.