KEY POINTS

• Senate targets 2025 for timely 1999 Constitution amendments.

• Lawmakers to review 69 bills and 55 state creation requests.

• Jibrin urges focus on unity and national interest.

The Senate has reaffirmed the National Assembly’s resolve to deliver people-centred and timely amendments to the 1999 Constitution, aiming to complete the first round before the end of the year.

Speaking at a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Constitution Review in Lagos, Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin (APC, Kano North) urged lawmakers to approach the exercise with unity and urgency.

He said the first set of amendments should be transmitted to State Houses of Assembly before December, ensuring no delay in the next phase of legislative approval.

69 amendment bills, 55 state requests on the table

The retreat, designed for members to review proposals clause by clause, will consider 69 amendment bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests.

Jibrin, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, said the committee’s task is to resolve all pending issues and make recommendations to the full legislature.

He acknowledged the tight schedule but expressed confidence in the lawmakers’ ability to complete their work effectively.

Constitution review to reflect national unity

Furthermore, in a statement by his media adviser, Ismail Mudashir, Jibrin stressed that the review process must prioritize patriotism and national interest over political or regional divides.

“We represent constituents from different ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds,” he said. “The Constitution is the foundation of our nationhood, and we must approach it as a shared national duty.”

As First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Jibrin also urged members to avoid rivalry between both chambers. “There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them.’ We are one committee guided by the interests of Nigerians,” he said.

He further expressed optimism that the committee’s recommendations would meet the approval threshold under Section 9 of the Constitution, paving the way for reforms that strengthen democracy and governance.