The National Assembly has announced plans to transmit the report of the ongoing 1999 Constitution review to the 36 State Houses of Assembly before December 2025 in line with its timeline.
Leader of the Senate and Zonal Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this on Saturday during the conclusion of the two-day South-West Zonal Public Hearing on the Constitution Review, held at WaterCrest Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Bamidele emphasised that the success of the amendment process would largely be dependent on state legislatures, urging all stakeholders to actively engage their state lawmakers.
“There is nothing the National Assembly can do without a two-thirds approval of all proposals by the state legislatures. All stakeholders must work with their lawmakers at the state level,” he said.
According to him, the committee had concluded public hearings and would now compile and process submissions before transmitting the final report to the states.
“We are returning to Abuja to prepare our report. Part of our timetable is to issue final notifications before the year ends and transmit our report to all state assemblies,” Bamidele said.
He described the constitution review as a serious national assignment, not a mere formality, saying it was aimed at reforming governance structures and improving service delivery to citizens.
“This process is not a jamboree, contrary to some dissenting views.
“It is designed to make consequential reforms that can guarantee our collective prosperity, efficient governance and sustainable development,” Bamidele stated.
He reiterated that amendments would only take effect if they secured two-thirds approval from the state assemblies, urging interest groups and citizens to extend advocacy to the grassroots.
“State assemblies are part of the process. We’ve been in Lagos for 48 hours listening to the people’s aspirations and concerns.
” They are already anticipating our report. Stakeholders must now take their advocacy to the state level,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures and Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, advocated for greater devolution of powers to subnational governments.
Ogundoyin, represented by the Deputy Speaker of Oyo State Assembly, Mr Abiodun Fadeyi, called for the transfer of key items like solid minerals, labour matters, telecommunications, and stamp duties from the Exclusive to the Concurrent Legislative List.
“Devolution of powers is key to this ongoing constitutional amendment.
*The removal of electricity from the Exclusive List has transformed many states’ power sectors. We want similar changes in other sectors,” he said.
Ogundoyin also threw his weight behind the establishment of state police, saying it would enhance local security, improve accountability, and reduce the burden on federal law enforcement.
“The potential benefits of state police far outweigh the challenges. What the amendment seeks is a well-defined structure for powers and oversight, ensuring both federal and state forces work in harmony,” he said.
Other lawmakers at the hearing included Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Olarere Oyewunmi; Chairperson, Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Ipalibo Banigo; Chairperson, Senate Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Oluranti Adebule.
Others are Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement, Sen. Olajide Ipinsagba; and Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Sen. Adeniyi Adegbomire.
The constitution review process continues with regional consultations across the country as the National Assembly collates input ahead of the final report’s transmission to the state legislatures.
