N/Assembly on spotlight as lawmakers vote on state police, others

The National Assembly is at the centre of national attention as 469 federal lawmakers in the Senate and the House of Representatives prepare for a decisive vote on the harmonised proposals in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, Weekend Trust reports.

Barring any last-minute changes, the House is expected to begin considering the report of the joint constitution review committee next week, after which both chambers will simultaneously vote on the proposed alterations. The Senate is yet to announce a formal date for its own debate, though sources say a schedule will be released soon.

The harmonised report being laid before the parliament is a culmination of months of engagement by the joint Constitution Review Committees chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu. Their work has involved extensive consultations across the geopolitical zones, public hearings at state and regional levels, and technical sessions with civil society groups, political leaders, lawyers, traditional rulers, professional bodies and international partners.

Eleven broad thematic areas form the backbone of the amendment proposals, including local government administration, inclusive governance and citizenship, electoral reforms, strengthening of institutions, security/state police, legislative reforms, judicial reforms, human rights, devolution of powers, traditional institutions and fiscal reforms.

Many stakeholders say the upcoming votes will significantly determine the trajectory of Nigeria’s democracy. From recurring electoral malpractice to deepening insecurity, contested citizenship rights, grassroots governance failures, and weak institutional independence, they believe the amendments, if passed, could help address some of the structural problems that have persisted for decades.

Local government reforms

One of the most consequential categories of proposals relates to local government administration. Ten bills in this segment seek either the creation or renaming of local government areas across various states. More importantly, a landmark proposal seeks to constitutionally entrench local government as a fully autonomous third tier of government in Nigeria, an issue that has long been contentious due to state-level interference in local government finances and administration.

Another critical bill proposed the creation of offices of state auditors-general for local governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area councils. The aim is to strengthen financial oversight, deepen accountability and ensure greater fiscal transparency at the grassroots level. Advocates for this reform argue that genuine governance transformation must begin at the grassroots, where citizens are closest to the government but often least served by existing structures.

Inclusive governance and citizenship

Three bills fall under inclusive governance and citizenship. One of the widely discussed is the bill proposing automatic citizenship for foreign spouses of Nigerian citizens, a reform seen as aligning Nigeria with global standards on family integration.

Another bill seeks to introduce citizenship-by-investment, allowing qualified investors to obtain Nigerian citizenship through financial contributions, similar to models used in the Caribbean and parts of Europe. Supporters argue that it could attract new investment, though critics warn of potential abuse.

The third, the widely debated Special Seats Bill, proposes reserving legislative seats exclusively for women in both the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. The proposal – HB 1349 and SB 440 – is intended to correct Nigeria’s long-standing gender imbalance in political representation.

Electoral reforms

Some of the most anticipated proposals fall under electoral reforms. The first major bill seeks to allow independent candidacy in elections at all levels – from local government to the presidency. Proponents say this could democratise the political space by reducing overreliance on political parties, thereby giving capable individuals a chance to contest without party bottlenecks.

Another major bill proposes the establishment of an electoral offences commission to be empowered to investigate and prosecute electoral crimes, including vote-buying, ballot snatching and result manipulation. For years, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has argued that it cannot conduct elections and simultaneously prosecute crimes arising from them.

Lawmakers will also vote on proposals to expand the regulatory powers of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs). Reformers say these measures could significantly reduce manipulation in local government elections, which many have criticised as being largely ceremonial due to one-party dominance in most states.

Strengthening institutions

Institutional reforms dominate another cluster of proposals. One key bill in this category seeks to expand the Federal Civil Service Commission to ensure representation for every state and the FCT. This measure aims to address complaints about inequitable representation within the federal bureaucracy.

Another bill proposes separating the offices of the attorney-general and the minister/commissioner for justice at both federal and state levels. This reform is intended to insulate prosecutorial powers from political interference by removing them from the control of the executive branch.

A third major proposal seeks to separate the qualification criteria for governors and deputy governors (and similarly for president and vice president). This would prevent the disqualification of an elected executive leader solely on the basis of the running mate’s ineligibility—an issue that gained national attention in the 2019 Bayelsa governorship saga that led to the disqualification of the then governor-elect, David Lyon due to his deputy’s forged credentials.

Security and state police

Perhaps the most widely discussed constitutional proposal is the establishment of state and community police. Multiple bills – SB 484 and HBs 617, 1305, 1920, and 1807 – seek to decentralise policing in response to rising insecurity, including banditry, kidnappings and violent farmer-herder conflicts.

Another bill seeks to grant the armed forces financial independence to ensure smoother operations and reduce bureaucratic delays in accessing funds.

The push for state police has long faced resistance, mainly over concerns about political misuse by governors. However, with insecurity escalating and the federal police stretched thin, momentum for the reform has returned. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently urged the National Assembly to expedite legislation establishing state police, while the Nigerian Governors Forum has also expressed support.

Legislative reforms

Under legislative reforms, lawmakers will vote on a bill to specify when the executive must present the annual budget to the National Assembly in order to avoid delays that have often hampered budget cycles.

Another critical bill proposes procedures for removing presiding officers of state Houses of Assembly. This aims to curb excessive executive interference, particularly in cases where governors have influenced the removal of speakers who do not conform to their political interests.

Judicial reforms

Judicial amendments include a proposal for expedited hearing and determination of election petitions, addressing concerns over lengthy litigation that often leaves office holders uncertain about their mandates.

Another major bill seeks to ensure direct funding for all federal and state courts through the National Judicial Council, a move intended to strengthen judicial independence.

Lawmakers will also vote on a proposal to enhance pensions and retirement benefits for judicial officers, addressing long-standing concerns over conditions that may leave them vulnerable to external influence.

In addition, there is a proposal to expand the criminal jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to cover electoral offences, aligning with broader reforms aimed at curbing election-related crimes.

Human rights reforms

Two bills under human rights seek to define acts constituting torture, cruel and degrading treatment – an important step toward aligning Nigeria with international human rights standards.

Another bill proposes protecting unborn children of pregnant women sentenced to death by commuting such sentences to life imprisonment. Advocates say the unborn child should not be punished for the mother’s crime.

Devolution of powers

Proposals under devolution of powers include moving road construction (excluding federal trunk A roads), tourism and quarantine regulations from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list. This would allow states to take more active roles in infrastructure development and tourism management.

Traditional institutions

One significant bill seeks constitutional recognition of traditional institutions through the establishment of a national Council of Traditional Rulers. Sponsors argue that traditional rulers play critical roles in conflict resolution, cultural preservation and community governance.

Fiscal reforms

Two bills in this category aim at strengthening public finance transparency. One mandates all government agencies to submit annual financial statements to the auditor-general within a specified period. The other requires public disclosure of audit reports at federal and state levels – a step transparency advocates say is long overdue.

Heightened interest in special seats and state police

Among the many proposals, two have particularly generated intense national debate. These include the Special Seats Bill for women and the proposal to establish state police.

The Special Seats Bill has received support from the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who recently hosted lawmakers to solicit support for the proposed guaranteed seats. She described it as a historic chance to reposition Nigeria’s democracy.

International actors, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, also reaffirmed their support, arguing that Nigeria ranks near the bottom globally in women’s political representation.

EU Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, Zissimos Vergos, said Nigeria ranked near the bottom globally in female parliamentary representation and described the constitutional amendment as “a critical opportunity” to align with global standards of inclusion.

Vergos noted that Nigeria’s representation figure of 7.4 per cent women in the National Assembly placed the country near the bottom of global rankings and warned that democracy risked remaining exclusionary if it does not evolve.

UK Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever stated that international experience showed improved outcomes in governance where women are represented.

Similarly, support for state police has grown. Apart from President Tinubu’s endorsement, governors have argued that the security crisis has stretched federal policing beyond its limits. There is growing optimism that this might be the amendment cycle that finally delivers state policing, having suffered setbacks in the past assemblies.

CISLAC warns against high expectations

Despite the momentum, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has warned Nigerians against expecting transformative outcomes. The executive director of the centre, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, argued that the process had been complicated by the “mass amendment” approach instead of piecemeal changes that would encourage broader consensus.

He also warned that both federal and state legislatures had become heavily influenced by the executive, reducing the likelihood of truly independent decision-making. According to him, the political environment today is markedly different from earlier periods when presiding officers asserted legislative autonomy.

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