Constitution Review: State Assemblies Await Formal Bills, Guwor Says
By PAULINA NZERUBE
THE 36 State Houses of Assembly are awaiting the formal copies of the National Assembly’s Constitution Review bills before beginning consideration, the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, has said.
Guwor, who is also the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, spoke after the Clerk to the National Assembly announced the transmission of the Sixth Alteration Bill to the state legislatures.
The package includes the proposed constitutional framework for State Police. The National Assembly transmitted the bill to the 36 assemblies on September 16, 2026, as part of the constitutional amendment process.
However, Guwor said the state Speakers had only taken note of the announcement and were still waiting for the formal documents.
“We are still awaiting formal transmission and as soon as we receive it, we will do what will be good for the people of Nigeria,” he said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Nkem Nwaeke.
Assemblies to Scrutinise Bills
Once the documents arrive, Guwor said the Conference will subject them to detailed legislative scrutiny.
He stressed that the proposed amendments would be considered on their individual merits and their possible implications for Nigerians and the different levels of government.
For the State Police proposal, however, he said the Speakers would pay particular attention to its implications for sub-national governance.
The proposed reform would alter Nigeria’s existing policing structure by creating a constitutional basis for state-level police services alongside the Federal Police.
Governors to Join Discussions
Meanwhile, Guwor disclosed that the Conference plans to engage the leadership of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum before state legislatures take their final positions on State Police.
According to him, the engagement will help the two groups harmonise their perspectives on the proposed framework.
He said such dialogue matters because governors and state legislatures have distinct constitutional responsibilities within the proposed reform process.
The discussions could therefore focus on issues surrounding the structure, administration, funding and oversight of State Police.
State Votes Remain Crucial
Under the constitutional amendment process, the State Houses of Assembly have a decisive role to play.
At least 24 of the 36 state legislatures must approve an alteration before it can clear the constitutional hurdle.
Guwor assured that the Conference would keep all Speakers informed as discussions progress.
He added that decisions reached by the individual State Houses of Assembly would eventually be communicated to the National Assembly in line with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
For now, the state legislatures are waiting for the formal documents.
Once they arrive, the debate over the proposed constitutional reforms, particularly State Police, will move into a new phase.
