The National Assembly is sticking to its timeline of completing the 6th Alteration to the Nigerian Constitution before the end of the calendar year. Indeed, it would appear that the National Assembly would like to see the votes happen before it breaks for the summer holiday in July.
Currently, a lot of technical work is ongoing within the two chambers of the National Assembly, with the technical experts finalizing details and drafts of the several bills submitted to the committees.
Both chambers of the National Assembly are planning to hold consultations across the six geopolitical zones within the next few weeks while a National Public Hearing will likely happen in May. It is expected that after the public hearing, final drafts of the constitutional amendment bills will be prepared for voting to take place in both chambers of the National Assembly.
According to Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, the workplan of the Committee is very much intact. According to him, the National Assembly will not want to see politicking take over the Constitution Review Process. With a spike expected in political parties towards year’s end, the National Assembly has assured that it would like its work on the first phase of the 10th National Assembly Constitution Amendment conclude before the end of the year.
It is expected that when the National Assembly finishes its vote just before the summer break in July, the approved votes will be sent to the State Houses of Assembly for their consent and return to the National Assembly. Once returns are made, the bills that have passed the criteria set out in the constitution will then be sent to the President for assent.