By George Mgbeleke

The Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution is set to organise a comprehensive 2-day Zonal Public Hearing in the country’s six geo-political zones to gather Nigerians’ input on the proposed constitutional amendments.

The committee, chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, said the public hearing which will be held simultaneously in Lagos (South West), Enugu (South East), Ikot Ekpene (South South, Jos (North Central) Maiduguri, (North East) and Kano (North West), is convened to gather the inputs of citizens on the proposed amendments to the nation’s Constitution.

The hearing, scheduled for July 4th and 5th, 2025, will examine critical national issues, including local government autonomy, electoral and judicial reforms, state creation, state police and inclusive governance.

The Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, said one of the bills, proposes the establishment of Local Government Councils as a tier of government to guarantee their democratic existence and tenure. This is part of a renewed push to grant full autonomy to the country’s 774 Local Government Councils.

The second bill on local government reforms seeks to create an independent National Local Government Electoral Commission (NALGEC) to organise, conduct, and supervise local government elections.

Also to be considered during the zonal public hearing are two bills on security and policing for the establishment of state police and state security council to coordinate internal security policies at the sub-national level.

In the area of fiscal reforms, six bills are going to be considered including the one to empower the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission to enforce compliance of remittance of accruals into and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account and streamline the procedure for reviewing the revenue allocation formula.

Also, on fiscal reforms, a bill to alter the provisions of the constitution to specify the period within which the president or the governor of a state shall present the appropriation bill before the National Assembly or House of Assembly will be discussed during the hearing.

In a fresh move toward gender equity, the Committee will also consider a bill to provide additional seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly.

To strengthen traditional institutions, a Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution to establish the National Council of Traditional Rulers, the State Council of Traditional Rulers, and the Local Government Council of Traditional Rulers would also be considered.

On electoral reforms, a proposal seeking the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to allow for independent candidacy at all levels of election, from local councils to the presidency, will also be discussed at the public hearing. This is just as a bill for diaspora voting to enfranchise Nigerians abroad has been listed for consideration.

The hearing will consider over 20 bills seeking to overhaul the country’s judiciary, including timelines for judgment delivery and expanded jurisdiction for election tribunals.

In a bold push for devolution of powers, proposals have been made to transfer items like labour and shipping from the Exclusive to the Concurrent Legislative List.

Also to be considered during the public hearing are 31 proposals on state creation, with five requests each from the South West, South South, and North Central geopolitical zones. The committee has received seven requests from the North East, six from the North West, and three from the South East.

The committee stressed the importance of public engagement in shaping the country’s constitution, calling everyone to participate during the zonal public hearing.