New Constitution Will Be Ready In 2025 – Reps

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the amendment to the Nigerian 1999 Constitution will be ready for presidential assent in August 2025 after the voting on the expected issues of concern by the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, at a press conference by the Committee on Constitution Review on Thursday in Abuja, also said the first draft report of the ongoing review of the 1999 constitution would be ready in August 2024.

Kalu, who is the chairman of the committee, said the second draft will be out in October 2024 and zonal inputs will start from then as lawmakers prepare for the last version or last draft copy of the Constitution.

“We are hoping that there will be a harmonisation of the issues on the 27th, 28th February 2025. We are hoping that during a technical working retreat that will take place in February 2025, the Senate and the House of Representatives documents will be harmonised.

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“It is our desire that on the 17th of March 2025, we will have harmonized documents considered in the House. It is our belief that by April 2025, we will have the final copies of draft amendments produced.

“We are also optimistic that by 12th May, 2025, we’ll have the final clean copy of amendments bills agreed on. And we are looking at 22nd May 2025 as a time when we will have the final report laid for consideration and voting. This is to say that members will be voting on the work we have done on this important date of 22nd May 2025

“…If it delays more than that, it will not go beyond August of 2025 because we believe that by August 2025, the president will receive the bills that will be presented to him for presidential assent. So, our target is that transmission of bills to Mr President for assent will take place in August 2025,” he said.

The deputy speaker also called for submission of memoranda from different interest groups, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Labour Unions, relevant institutions of government and the members of the general public to aid the committee’s work.

He said that the thematic areas included Federal Structure and Power Devolution; Local Government/Local Government Autonomy; Public Revenue, Fiscal Federation, and Revenue Allocation; Nigerian Police and Nigerian Security Architecture; Comprehensive Judicial Reforms; Electoral Reforms to strengthen INEC to deliver transparent, credible, free and fair elections; Socio-economic and cultural rights as contained in Chapter 2 of the constitution and Traditional Institutions.

Other were Issues of Gender; Strengthening the Independence of oversight institutions and agencies created by the constitution or pursuant to an Act of the National Assembly; Residency and Indigene Provisions; Immunity; The National Assembly;  Process of state creation and State access to mining.”