State Assemblies to Consult Governors on Constitution Amendment Bills. Nigeria’s constitutional amendment process has entered another important phase, with State Houses of Assembly preparing to scrutinise the proposals transmitted by the National Assembly. Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria and Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor, said lawmakers intend to consult governors before taking final positions, particularly on the proposed State Police framework.
The development comes after the National Assembly transmitted the 2026 Sixth Alteration Bill to the 36 state legislatures on September 16, 2026. Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, constitutional alterations require approval from at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly — meaning 24 of the 36 states — before the process can proceed toward presidential assent.
State Assemblies Won’t Take Final Position on State Police Without Governors
Guwor said the Speakers would engage the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to harmonise perspectives before the state legislatures reach their final positions. In newsroom language, the constitutional ball may have moved from Abuja to the states, but nobody appears eager to kick it without first discussing where the goalpost should stand.
The proposed State Police Bill is expected to receive particular attention because it could significantly alter the relationship between federal and state authorities in policing. The proposal has already passed through both chambers of the National Assembly, and its journey now depends heavily on the constitutional concurrence of the state legislatures.
State Assemblies Receive Constitution Drama, But Formal Copies Are Still Loading
There is, however, an interesting twist to the unfolding legislative drama. While the National Assembly has announced that the bills have been transmitted, Guwor said the Speakers were still awaiting the formal copies of the resolutions before beginning their detailed consideration. Apparently, even constitutional reform has discovered the Nigerian tradition of waiting for the official document before opening the file.
Once formally received, the Conference says the proposals will undergo thorough legislative scrutiny. Guwor also said all Speakers would be carried along, with the eventual resolutions of the state legislatures sent back to the National Assembly in accordance with the constitutional amendment procedure. The National Assembly has requested responses within a 30-day administrative window, although that period is not itself a constitutional deadline.
For now, the constitutional review has reached a stage where governors, state lawmakers and the National Assembly will all have important roles to play, especially over the proposed State Police arrangement. Whether consultation produces harmony or simply creates more meetings before the next meeting remains part of the developing story. OGM News NG will continue watching the legislative drama, because when Nigeria starts editing its Constitution, even the waiting room deserves a headline.
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