The National Assembly has formally transmitted the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval, opening another phase in Nigeria’s ongoing constitutional amendment process.
The bill was transmitted on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, following a directive from the leadership of the federal legislature and in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The transmission places the proposed constitutional alterations before the state legislatures, which are now expected to consider the bill through their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly.
The state Houses of Assembly have been requested to communicate their decisions within 30 days of receiving the bill. However, Ogunlana clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative timeframe rather than a constitutional deadline, as Section 9 does not prescribe a specific period within which state legislatures must transmit their resolutions.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, constitutional alteration proposals require the approval of at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly. This means that a minimum of 24 state legislatures must approve the relevant proposals before the constitutional amendment process can advance to the subsequent stage.
The transmission follows the consideration of constitutional alteration proposals by the National Assembly and marks the point at which the state legislatures become formally involved in the process. Their resolutions will determine whether the relevant proposals satisfy the required constitutional threshold.
The National Assembly said the 30-day administrative window was intended to encourage an orderly and timely consideration of the proposals. It stressed that the timeframe was not designed to interfere with the constitutional responsibilities or independence of the State Houses of Assembly.
Ogunlana also reaffirmed the respect of the National Assembly for the constitutional role of the state legislatures, noting that the federal legislature would await their resolutions before taking further steps on the amendment process.
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The latest development therefore moves the 2026 constitutional review into a critical state-level phase, with the 36 State Houses of Assembly expected to examine the proposed alterations and communicate their positions in accordance with constitutional procedures.
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