The Nigerian National Assembly is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This process involves a compendium of 86 bills that aim to alter different sections of the constitution. These bills are grouped into 13 key thematic areas, each addressing a critical issue in the country.
Here is a breakdown of the main areas being reviewed:
- Electoral Reforms: Bills in this area seek to improve the electoral process by proposing a single-day general election, allowing for independent candidates, and establishing an Electoral Offences Commission.
- Judicial Reforms: These proposals aim to enhance the independence and efficiency of the judiciary by speeding up the process of appointing judges and creating local government election tribunals.
- Devolution of Powers: This is a major area of focus. The bills propose moving certain items from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list, which would give states more power to legislate on issues like tourism, mining, and taxation.
- Security and Policing: One of the most significant proposals is to constitutionally establish state police, which would decentralize security and give states more control over law enforcement within their borders.
- Inclusive Governance: These bills aim to make governance more representative by proposing reserved legislative seats for women and people with disabilities at all levels of government.
- Local Government Reforms: The bills aim to grant local governments more autonomy by ensuring their financial independence and providing for independent electoral bodies.
- Citizenship and Indigeneship: The review includes bills that propose changes to citizenship laws, such as allowing Nigerian women to confer citizenship on their foreign spouses and revising the criteria for “indigene” status.
- Fiscal Reforms: This area focuses on improving financial accountability by mandating the publication of the Auditor-General’s reports and creating special accounts for borrowed funds.
- Strengthening Institutions: These bills seek to strengthen key government institutions. They include proposals to separate the office of the Attorney-General from that of the Minister of Justice and to expand the powers of the Auditor-General.
- Traditional Institutions: There is a bill that would formally recognize the role of traditional rulers in governance and security.
- Fundamental Human Rights: The review also seeks to protect human rights by defining torture, outlawing the public parading of suspects, and automatically domesticating international human rights treaties.
- Legislature: This includes bills that would give the Clerk of the National Assembly the power to call a new session and ensure that a valid certificate of return automatically admits a member.
- Creation of States and Local Governments: The National Assembly is also considering proposals for the creation of new states and local government areas based on requests received from various parts of the country.
