The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has revealed that the National Assembly is currently reviewing 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 proposals for new local government areas under the ongoing 1999 Constitution review process.
Barau, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, disclosed this during the opening session of a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House Committees on Constitution Review held in Lagos.
The Deputy Senate President reaffirmed the commitment of the National Assembly to ensure that the amendment process remains people-centred and timely.
He said the legislature aims to transmit the first set of amendments to state assemblies before the end of the year.
“It has been a long journey engaging constituents, stakeholders, and interest groups across the country, which has culminated in these proposals before us,” Barau said in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir.
Barau acknowledged the complexity of the constitutional review process and urged lawmakers to approach their work with open minds and patriotism.
“We are seated here as one committee. There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them.’ Let us be guided by the interests of Nigerians,” he said.
The Deputy Senate President, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, emphasized that the review process must reflect the aspirations of Nigerians for more equitable governance and stronger federal structures.
The ongoing review has sparked renewed interest across the country, as different regions and ethnic groups have submitted proposals for new states, local government areas, and boundary adjustments.
Political observers say the process could lead to one of the most extensive constitutional overhauls since 1999 if the recommendations scale through both chambers of the National Assembly and receive approval from state legislatures.
