The National Assembly has missed the December 2025 deadline for the completion of ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, raising doubts on whether the parliament can complete the exercise before the commencement of electioneering for the 2027 polls.

The House had initially scheduled December 9 and 10 for voting on the constitution alteration bills after which it would be sent to state Houses of Assembly for their voting, before the final alterations is transmitted to the President for his assent. However, voting was put off abruptly and no new date fixed for until the National Assembly adjourned plenary for the Christmas holiday, to resume on January 27, 2026.

This is as the parliament awaits a report of the various zonal caucuses on their position for the creation of additional states in the six geo-political zones. There are 53 proposals for the creation of new states from different parts of the country, including eight requests from the North East; 10 from North West; 12 from North Central; seven from South East; seven from South-South and nine from South West.

The zonal caucuses are also expected to make returns to the National Assembly Joint Committee on proposals for the creation of no fewer than 278 new local government areas from the 36 states across in the ongoing constitution review exercise.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who doubles as co-Chairman of the National Assembly Special Committee on Constitution Review, had at the inaugural meeting of House Committee on Constitution Review, on February 29, 2024, disclosed that parliament would complete the Constitution alteration by December 2025.

Kalu had explained that the objective is to complete the exercise before electioneering for the 2027 election campaigns. “Our target is that transmission of bills to Mr. President for assent will take place in August 2025. And with this, we are sure that our target to get this job done in 24 months will be achieved if we send it Mr President by August 2025 and hope that by December, we will have a constitution that’s fully amended.”

Documents obtained by Daily Sun indicated that the NASS joint Committee on Constitution considered 69 proposals for the alterations of the 1999 Constitution, rejected 25 proposals and approved 44 bills for consideration by the parliament.

The bills rejected included proposals for the rotation of the office of president and governor among the six geo-political zones in the country and three senatorial districts in each of the states respectively, as well as control of mineral resources by states, where they are deposited.

Also rejected were the proposal for the impeachment of the President, Vice President, governors and deputy governors for defection from the political parties on which platform they were elected to other political parties as well as the prohibition of pardon for persons convicted of corruption.

Furthermore, the panel rejected pensions for the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as speakers and deputy speakers of state Houses of Assembly.

Nonetheless, a report by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review jointly signed by Kalu and the Committee Clerk, Wali Shehu, and laid before the House recently, indicated that among the 44 proposals are the reserved seats bill seeking the creation of six senate seats, 37 House of Representatives seats and 108 state assembly seats for women, state police, devolution of power among others.

In October, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review, recommended the creation of an additional state in the South East and set up a sub-committee to harmonize requests for the creation of new states from the six geo-political zones and recommend one proposal from each of the six geo-political zones.

However, the panel is yet to report back to the joint committee on which of the states proposals it has recommended for consideration by the National Assembly in the ongoing alteration of the constitution.

A National Assembly source told Daily Sun that the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review, jointly chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau and Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, is still awaiting report on the harmonised state creation proposal. He noted that though the South East caucus has met repeatedly to take a decision on the additional state for the zone, they are yet to harmonise their position.

When contacted, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, confirmed to Daily Sun that the NASS Joint Constitution Review Committee is awaiting returns from the various zoning caucuses in the federal legislature on proposals for creation of new states and local government areas. Rotimi, who explained that part of the assignment of the zonal caucuses is to ensure that the proposal meets constitution requirements, expressed optimism that the tasks would be complete anytime from now.

“It is accurate that the various zonal caucuses were asked to make recommendations in the spirit of equity and fairness, as much as possible. And those reports are expected. As you know, the Senate and the House Committees on Constitution Review are working jointly, so that we don’t have different versions on issues that will need harmonization. So, it is the zonal caucuses in the Senate and House that are working together with the joint committee.

“The Constitution has specific requirements- issues of ensuring that they have had a referendum across the states, issues of ensuring that all the representatives, either representative, senators, local councillors and all of that have agreed to this. And a few other requirements that the constitution specified. So, that is part of the work that the zonal caucuses are ensuring have been effectively done, before making their recommendation to the joint Senate and House Committee on Constitution Review.” (The Sun)