Nigeria's National Assembly Sends Constitution Amendment Bill to States
The 30-day ratification window opens a procedural test of whether Nigeria's federal structure can deliver the supermajority required to alter its foundational law.
Nigeria's National Assembly has transmitted a constitution amendment bill to the country's 36 state Houses of Assembly, according to Premium Times Nigeria, which reported the development on September 16, 2026. State legislatures have 30 days to respond.
For the proposed amendments to take effect, at least 24 of the 36 state assemblies must approve them, a two-thirds threshold established under Nigeria's constitutional framework, Premium Times Nigeria reported. Failure to reach that number would leave the bill without legal force regardless of its passage at the federal level.
Nigeria's 1999 Constitution, which was promulgated during the transition from military to civilian rule, has been amended several times since its adoption. Each amendment cycle has required this same two-tier process: passage by the National Assembly followed by ratification by a supermajority of state legislatures.
The amendment process is governed by Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, which sets the two-thirds ratification requirement for state assemblies as a check against the federal legislature making unilateral changes to the document. The provision is designed to ensure that alterations to the constitution reflect broad geographic and political consensus across Nigeria's federated units.
Premium Times Nigeria did not specify in its report which particular provisions the current bill seeks to amend. The full text of the bill, once available through the National Assembly's official records, would clarify the scope of the proposed changes.
Nigeria has 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, meaning the 24-assembly threshold requires buy-in from legislatures across multiple geopolitical zones. Historically, this requirement has produced varied outcomes: some amendment cycles have succeeded in reaching the threshold while others have stalled when regional blocs withheld support.
The 30-day response window places a defined deadline on proceedings that in past cycles have sometimes extended beyond their original timelines. Whether state assemblies convene extraordinary sessions or address the bill during regular sittings will vary by state, and Premium Times Nigeria did not report on any early indications of support or opposition from state-level legislators.
Political analysts who follow Nigerian legislative affairs have noted that the composition of state assemblies at any given time does not always mirror the alignment of federal lawmakers, which can complicate ratification even when a bill commands strong support in Abuja. The specific dynamics of the current cycle are not yet established in public reporting.
The outcome of the ratification round will be determinable once official tallies from state assemblies are released, either through the National Assembly's secretariat or through individual state assembly records. Premium Times Nigeria indicated it expects to report on those results as they emerge within the 30-day window.