The Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has scheduled a two-day Zonal Public Hearing to hold simultaneously across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones on July 4 and 5, 2025.
According to Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin who also chairs the committee the hearings are aimed at gathering citizens’ input on proposed constitutional amendments.
Issues up for review include local government autonomy, state creation, state policing, judicial and electoral reforms, inclusive governance, fiscal reforms, and devolution of powers.
One of the key proposals seeks to recognize local government councils as a constitutionally protected tier of government with defined structures and tenure, while another bill seeks to establish a National Local Government Electoral Commission to independently conduct local elections.
Other bills propose the establishment of state police and state security councils, timelines for budget presentation by the executive, enhanced representation for women in parliament, and the institutionalization of traditional rulers at all levels of government.
Electoral reform proposals also include the introduction of independent candidacy and voting rights for Nigerians in the diaspora.
Over 20 judicial reform bills are also on the agenda, along with multiple fiscal and governance-related proposals.
The Senate committee revealed that 31 separate demands for state creation have been submitted from across the country.
The Senate urged Nigerians to take part actively in the hearings to contribute meaningfully to shaping the nation’s constitutional framework.
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