* Bills for 69 requests up for consideration
* Jibrin assures Nigerians of timely constitutional amendments
The National Assembly has commenced deliberations on far-reaching constitutional amendments, including proposals for the creation of 55 new states and 278 additional local government areas across Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, by Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos, Senator Jibrin — who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review — reaffirmed the legislature’s commitment to delivering “people-centred and timely” amendments.
He urged lawmakers to work diligently towards submitting the first batch of proposed amendments to state Houses of Assembly before the end of the year.
“It has been a long journey to bring together the Senate and House of Representatives’ Constitution Amendment proposals, which touch on several sections and subject matters,” Jibrin said.
“We have been engaging constituents, stakeholders, institution and civil society groups over the past two years through town halls, public hearings, and interactive sessions. The result is what we have today — 69 bills, 55 requests for state creation, two boundary adjustments, and 278 requests for new local governments,” he added.
Jibrin expressed optimism that the committees could make substantial progress within the two-day session despite the complexity of the issues involved.
“It won’t be an easy task to complete in two days, but I believe we can achieve it, especially since we’ve assured Nigerians that we will deliver the first set of amendments to the State Assemblies before the end of this year,” he noted.
The Deputy Senate President, who also serves as First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, called for unity and patriotism among lawmakers during the review process.
“We are here as one committee — there should be no division between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ Our guiding principle should be the interest of Nigerians,” he emphasised.
Amending the 1999 Constitution has long been a difficult process, often slowed by political disagreements, regional interests, and the constitutional requirement that at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly approve any amendment.
Recall that previous attempts by past National Assemblies achieved limited success.
The Ninth Assembly, for instance, passed key bills on financial autonomy for state legislatures and the judiciary but failed to secure consensus on crucial issues such as state police and local government autonomy.
Analysts, however, say the current review reflects renewed legislative determination but caution that the scale of proposals — particularly those on new states and local councils — could again test the unity of the federation and the ability of lawmakers to balance popular aspirations with governance realities.