CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT: Senate Considers 31 Proposals For State Creation

LEADERSHIP can report that the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution is considering 31 new proposals for state creation.

Of these requests, six are from the North East, six from the North West, and three from the South East.

It was gathered that the Senate is also making a final push to grant full autonomy to 774 local government areas (LGAs).

The lawmakers will also consider 20 bills seeking a judicial overhaul and timelines for judgement delivery.

This is coming just as the Senate holds a comprehensive two-day zonal public hearing across the country’s six geopolitical zones to gather Nigerians’ input on proposed constitutional amendments.

The committee, chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin, said the public hearings – scheduled to be held simultaneously in Lagos (South-West), Enugu (South-East), Ikot Ekpene (South-South), Jos (North-Central), Maiduguri (North-East), and Kano (North-West) – are aimed at collecting citizens’ views on the amendments under consideration.

In a statement issued to journalists on Saturday in Abuja, the special adviser, Media and Publicity, to the Deputy Senate President, Ismail Mudashir, said the hearings, slated for July 4 and 5, 2025, will examine critical national issues, including local government autonomy, electoral and judicial reforms, state creation, state police, and inclusive governance.

According to Mudashir, one of the bills proposes establishing Local Government Councils as a constitutionally recognised tier of government to guarantee their democratic existence and tenure. This is part of a renewed effort to grant the country’s 774 LGAs full autonomy.

A second bill on local government reforms seeks to establish an independent National Local Government Electoral Commission (NALGEC) to organise, conduct, and supervise local government elections.

The zonal public hearings will also consider two bills related to security and policing. These bills seek to establish state police and state security councils to coordinate internal security policies at the subnational level.

Six bills are on the table on fiscal reform, including one that would empower the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission to enforce compliance with remitting accruals into and disbursing revenue from the Federation Account and streamline the procedure for reviewing the revenue allocation formula.

Another fiscal reform bill proposes amending the constitution to specify the period within which the president or a state governor must present the appropriation bill before the National or State House of Assembly.

In a fresh move towards gender equity, the committee will consider a bill to provide additional seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly.

To strengthen traditional institutions, a bill seeking to establish the National Council of Traditional Rulers, State Councils of Traditional Rulers, and Local Government Councils of Traditional Rulers will also be reviewed.

On electoral reform, a proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow independent candidacy at all levels, from local government to the presidency, will be discussed. A bill to enable Nigerians in the diaspora to vote in national elections is also listed for consideration.

The hearings will also consider over 20 bills to reform the judiciary, including proposals to set timelines for judgment delivery and expand the jurisdiction of election tribunals.

In a bold push for the devolution of powers, there are proposals to transfer items such as labour and shipping from the Exclusive to the Concurrent Legislative List.

The committee will also consider 31 proposals for state creation: five requests each from the South-West, South-South, and North-Central zones; seven from the North-East; six from the North-West and three from the South-East.

The committee stressed the importance of public engagement in shaping the nation’s constitution and urged all Nigerians to participate in the zonal public hearings.