Time is ticking for Nigeria's 10th National Assembly as it races against time to deliver the first set of amendments to the 1999 Constitution before December 2025.
Despite Senate Vice President Jibrin Barau's assurances of the legislature's commitment to people-centric and timely review, questions remain whether lawmakers can realistically meet the deadline, especially as most amendment bills have yet to be passed a second time in the Senate.
Also read: The nation waits for change: 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, and 278 LG resolutions under Constitution review – Barau
At a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos, Senator Barau, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, underlined the urgency and importance of the task.
He described the constitutional review process as a “national duty” that must be accomplished with patriotism, focus and sincerity of purpose.
“It has been a long journey to bring to the Senate and House of Representatives constitutional amendment resolutions that cut across multiple sections and deal with a variety of subject matters,” Barou said.
“We have been in this process for the past two years, engaging our constituents, key stakeholders, institutions, civil society organizations and interest groups in town hall meetings, interactive sessions and public hearings, accumulating and synthesizing ideas and perspectives, culminating in what we have today.”
The retreat is expected to consider 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests, all of which are seeking changes to the 1999 Constitution.
However, National Assembly insiders have expressed concerns that the December deadline may be overly ambitious, given the current stage of legislative progress.
As of October, many of the proposed amendment bills were still awaiting second reading, meaning they had not yet progressed to the committee or reconciliation stages.
Each amendment, as per constitutional requirement, must go through all the legislative processes, from first reading to committee consideration, reconciliation between the two Houses, and final transmission to the 36 state houses of the Assembly for the concurrence of at least 24 states.
Also read: Why 25 years of constitutional amendments have failed in Nigeria – Agbakoba
This laborious process has historically slowed down constitutional amendment efforts in Nigeria.
Previous legislatures have often struggled to complete such exercises within their four-year tenure.
For example, the 8th National Assembly saw several bills lapsed at the end of its session, while the 9th Assembly managed to pass only a limited number of amendments, particularly on judicial reforms and financial autonomy for state legislatures and judiciaries, which took almost three years to complete.
Given that backdrop, observers doubt the feasibility of the December target for the 10th Assembly.
It is said that even if the joint committees complete their work and finalize the recommendations by November, it will require an almost impossible legislative effort to push the bills through both Houses, overcome differences and gain the approval of the state assembly.
Nevertheless, Senator Barau remains optimistic.
In his speech, he charged lawmakers to approach the task with an “open mind and collective resolve”, stressing that the work of the committee should reflect the aspirations of Nigerians rather than partisan or sectional interests.
“Achieving this within two days is no easy task, but I believe we can do it,” Barou said.
“We have promised Nigerians that we will table the first set of amendments in the state Houses of Assembly before the end of this year.
“I believe we can fulfill our promise if we approach the bills and issues with an open mind.”
He said lawmakers should focus on “best service to the citizens of Nigeria” and avoid “competitive debate or rivalry between the Senate and the House of Representatives”.
However, political observers say that beyond the legislative process, political realities may also affect the timeline.
Constitutional amendments often require consensus among different political factions, regional interests, and institutional stakeholders.
Disagreements over issues such as state police, local government autonomy, resource control, and gender inclusion have historically delayed progress.
In this current review cycle, some of the most controversial proposals include the creation of new states, the restructuring of Nigeria's federal system, and the demand for full local government autonomy, all politically sensitive issues that require broad national agreement.
Furthermore, as the National Assembly approaches the midterms, political distractions are expected to increase, especially as parties begin positioning for the 2027 general elections.
This may limit the time and focus needed to see the revisions.
Also read: House of Representatives to hold national public hearing on Constitution review on September 22
Despite these challenges, the leadership of the Constitution Review Committee insists that the current process is better structured than that of previous legislatures.
Lawmakers have adopted a phased approach, intending to send the first batch of “non-controversial amendments” to states before December, while more complex issues will come in a later round.
This strategy could help the legislature achieve partial success by meeting its self-imposed December deadline, even if only a fraction of the proposed bills pass the first round.
Barau, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, reinforced this optimism, and urged lawmakers to see the task as an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria's democracy.
“We are sitting here as a committee. There should be no 'us' and 'them'.” We must be guided only by the interests of Nigerians,” he said.
Still, many Nigerians are watching closely, not only to see whether lawmakers meet the deadline, but also to see whether the amendments will actually address long-standing governance deficiencies.
For citizens tired of stalled reforms, attempts at constitutional review often feel like déjà vu: grand promises that rarely translate into structural change.
As the National Assembly has deliberated, the December deadline serves as both a target and a test of legislative will, coordination and integrity.
Whether lawmakers accomplish this or not, the coming weeks will determine whether this round of constitutional amendment marks a turning point or just another cycle of legislative ambition and incomplete reform.
