Senate Pledges People-Centred, Timely Amendments as Constitution Review Considers 69 Bills

The Senate has reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to ensuring that the ongoing amendment of the 1999 Constitution remains people-centred and timely.

Speaking at a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives’ Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos, Deputy Senate President Senator Barau I. Jibrin (APC, Kano North) urged lawmakers to transmit the first batch of proposed amendments to State Houses of Assembly within the year.

The retreat provided members of the joint committees the opportunity to review proposed amendments clause by clause. A total of 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation proposals are being considered.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, Senator Jibrin highlighted that the constitutional review process has spanned two years of consultations with stakeholders, civil society groups, institutions, and constituents through town hall meetings and public hearings.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, he noted that the committee’s task is to resolve these issues and make recommendations to both chambers. While acknowledging the challenge of completing the work within two days, he expressed confidence in their ability to deliver meaningful results.

Senator Jibrin, who also serves as First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged lawmakers to prioritize the interests of Nigerians above partisan or regional considerations. He emphasized that the Constitution is the foundation of national unity and must be approached with patriotism and a sense of shared purpose.

He concluded by calling on committee members to work collectively, free of division, and to produce recommendations capable of meeting the approval threshold required under Section 9 of the Constitution.