The Senate has said the ongoing review of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution will be completed before the expiration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2027, despite increasing political activities ahead of the general elections.
The assurance comes amid concerns that preparations for the 2027 polls could slow down the amendment process and lead to another unsuccessful attempt at constitutional reform.
There have also been concerns over the financial resources already committed to the exercise if the process eventually fails to secure the required approvals.
However, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, said the National Assembly remained determined to conclude the exercise within its current tenure.
Speaking in an interview, Adaramodu explained that the January 2027 election date would not bring the activities of the 10th National Assembly to an end.
He said, “The proposed constitutional amendments, already started by the 10th National Assembly, shall be passed in the life of this current Assembly.
“However, January is not the terminal date of the 10th National Assembly, but June 2027.
“The Electoral Act, recently passed, has taken care of the January 2027 general elections.
The constitutional review is expected to address several issues concerning Nigeria’s governance structure, political administration and other provisions of the country’s constitutional framework.
For any proposed amendment to become law, it must pass through the required legislative process at the National Assembly and subsequently receive the support of at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
Previous attempts at constitutional reform have faced difficulties, with some proposals failing to obtain the necessary support from lawmakers at the federal and state levels.
The Senate’s latest position also follows comments by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, that political activities ahead of the 2027 elections would not prevent lawmakers from carrying out their legislative duties.
Akpabio had maintained that members of the National Assembly could combine their political engagements with their responsibilities as lawmakers.
He said lawmakers would continue to discharge their constitutional responsibilities despite the increasing consultations and preparations by political parties and aspirants ahead of the elections.
With the 2027 elections drawing closer, political activities are expected to intensify. Nevertheless, the Senate leadership has insisted that the constitutional amendment process will continue alongside election-related activities.
The success of the exercise will ultimately depend on the speed of legislative consideration and whether the proposed amendments can secure the constitutionally required support from the state Houses of Assembly before the 10th National Assembly’s tenure ends in June 2027.
