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States get 30-day deadline for constitution amendment

Published

1 day ago

September 17, 2026

The National Assembly has transmitted the 2026 Constitution alteration bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration, asking them to communicate their resolutions within 30 days.

It also clarified that the timeframe is administrative and not a constitutional deadline.

The transmission, effected on Wednesday by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, followed a directive from the leadership of the National Assembly.

The development marks the commencement of the next critical phase of the constitutional amendment process, with the proposed alterations now before the state legislatures whose approval is constitutionally required before the exercise can proceed.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ogunlana said the transmission was made pursuant to Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

He said, “The National Assembly has commenced the next stage of the constitutional alteration process with the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation for their consideration and approval.”

Section 9 requires a constitutional alteration bill to secure the approval of not less than two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly.

Ogunlana stated, “Section 9 of the Constitution provides, among other requirements, that either House of the National Assembly shall not pass a Bill for the purpose of altering the provisions of the Constitution unless it is approved by resolution of not less than two-thirds of the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation.”

Build-up to transmission

The transmission followed the passage of the proposed alterations by both chambers of the National Assembly.

Under the constitutional procedure, an alteration bill must be considered and passed by at least a two-thirds majority of all members of both the Senate and House of Representatives. Where a bill originates in one chamber, it must be transmitted to the other for concurrence, with both chambers required to agree on the same text before it can be sent to the state legislatures.

At least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly must subsequently approve a constitutional alteration before the process can advance.

The state legislatures are now expected to consider the proposals in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly.

Although the state legislatures have been given an expected 30-day period to respond, the Clerk stressed that the period was not prescribed by the Constitution.

He said, “The Clerk to the National Assembly has requested the state Houses of Assembly to give the Bill the requisite consideration in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and to communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly upon conclusion of their consideration.

“It is noted that the Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which the state Houses of Assembly are required to communicate their resolutions on a constitutional alteration Bill.

“Nevertheless, in the interest of an orderly, coordinated and timely conclusion of the constitutional alteration process, the state Houses of Assembly are expected to consider the Bill and communicate their respective resolutions to the National Assembly within 30 days of receipt.

“For clarity, the 30-day period is an expected administrative timeframe and does not constitute a constitutional deadline,” the statement added.

The National Assembly also stressed that the transmission was not intended to influence or dictate how the state legislatures should consider the proposals.

“The National Assembly recognises the constitutional responsibility vested in the state Houses of Assembly and respects their independence in the consideration of the Bill. The transmission is intended to facilitate the orderly discharge of their constitutional role in the process.”

Ogunlana said the National Assembly remained committed to complying with the constitutional requirements governing the alteration exercise.

He said, “The National Assembly remains committed to ensuring that the constitutional alteration process is conducted in strict compliance with the Constitution and in accordance with the principles of due process, institutional cooperation and respect for the legislative responsibilities of all tiers of the legislature.”

He added, “Upon receipt of the resolutions of the State Houses of Assembly, the National Assembly will proceed with the necessary steps in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.”

2027 deadline concerns

The transmission comes about two weeks after the Senate assured Nigerians that the constitutional amendment process would be completed before the expiration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2027.

The assurance followed concerns that the review could be overtaken by preparations for the 2027 general elections and suffer the fate of previous constitutional reform exercises that failed to secure the required legislative support.

Critics have also questioned the resources committed to previous amendment exercises and raised concerns over the possibility of another unsuccessful attempt at constitutional reform.

However, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, told The PUNCH that the Senate leadership was determined to conclude the process within the lifespan of the current Assembly.

Adaramodu said, “The proposed constitution 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 Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had also assured that preparations for the 2027 elections would not prevent the National Assembly from performing its legislative responsibilities.

Akpabio said lawmakers had the capacity to balance their political activities with their constitutional duties.

The constitutional review is expected to cover proposals relating to governance, political restructuring and other aspects of Nigeria’s constitutional framework.

Unlike ordinary legislation, constitutional alteration requires compliance with the special procedure prescribed by Section 9, including approval by both chambers of the National Assembly and endorsement by at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly.

Previous constitutional amendment exercises have generated extensive public debate, with several proposals failing to secure the required legislative support despite the time and resources committed to them.

The transmission has now placed the 36 state Houses of Assembly at the centre of the next phase of the process, with their resolutions expected to determine whether the proposed amendments can advance before the 10th National Assembly winds down in June 2027.

Source: punchng.com

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News

420-year-old Alaafin’s palace tortoise d!es

Published

2 hours ago

September 18, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

A ‘420-year-old’ tortoise known as Baba has d!ed at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oyo State.

Baba d!ed on Monday, September 14, 2026 after falling ill.

Baba, regarded by residents as the oldest indigene of Oyo, was a treasured relic of the Kingdom that had survived generations of monarchs and was cared for by successive Alaafin.

The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday, September 17.

The statement described Baba as more than a tortoise, saying the animal had become a part of the oral history of the Yoruba people and a major attraction at the ancient palace.

According to him, the incumbent Alaafin, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, met Baba at the palace after his ascension to the throne.

He said Baba had been nourished by successive kings, who inherited the animal as part of the historical relics associated with the palace.

“In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene. It was the Alaafin’s most besotted pet. The incumbent Paramount Ruler met it in the Palace, as Baba was nourished by a succession of Kings, who inherited him as part of the relics of their ancestors,” the statement read.

He said confirmed oral history indicated that Baba was brought from Oyo-Ile, the seat of the old Oyo Empire, to the present palace in Oyo town.

Durojaiye said two palace officials had been responsible for tortoise’s welfare the over the years, while its longevity and unusual size made it a major attraction for visitors to the palace.

He said many people visited the palace specifically to see Baba, making the animal part of the tourist experience.

Baba was reportedly fed with water melon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass.

According to Durojaiye, the tortoise fell ill on Monday and stopped eating before it eventually d!ed.

He said Baba had been buried following its d3ath.

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News

King Charles warns tech bosses of ‘existential dangers’ of AI

Published

4 hours ago

September 18, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

King Charles III has warned tech giants of the “existential dangers” posed by artificial intelligence falling into the wrong hands.

He gave the warning during a conference in Scotland on Thursday, according to AFP.

The gathering at Dumfries House brought together senior representatives from Nvidia, Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Britain’s minister for artificial intelligence.

The debate over the risks of the technology has intensified in recent months, fuelled by several incidents and apocalyptic warnings from industry professionals.

“There seems urgency in adequately considering the existential dangers of such technologies falling into the wrong hands and being used in potentially catastrophic ways.

“Those in our world who value our humanity and its vital moral component are anxiously seeking your reassurance that we will not lose control of our destiny,” Charles told guests at the opening of the conference.

The British monarch called on tech leaders to ensure technology “remains firmly in the service of humanity, community and the natural world.”

Among the guests at the conference were DeepMind chair Demis Hassabis, the head of American semiconductor giant Nvidia, Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s chief financial officer Sarah Friar.

Paolo Benanti, the Vatican’s AI adviser, and Israeli author and historian Yuval Noah Harari were also in attendance.

Buckingham Palace expects the conference to mark the beginning of a process to draw up common principles guiding the development and use of AI.

But no formal agreement is expected at the end of the meeting of tech leaders and other influential figures, which is set to last four to five hours.

The king, who is not taking part in the discussions, urged participants to consider how to harness AI “by putting safety at its heart” and to build international cooperation so that “no nation is left behind.”

Rapid advances in AI have fuelled concerns over job losses as well as the soaring energy demand and the environmental impact of data centres.

Fears that designers of AI agents could lose control of their creations mounted after several models from OpenAI and Anthropic reportedly broke out of their confined environments on their own, accessed the internet, and intruded on websites and platforms.

“The chance of something bad accidentally happening, if we get things wrong, is definitely non-zero,” DeepMind’s Hassabis said in his opening remarks at the summit.

“We’ve already seen the beginnings of this with the recent cyber incidents involving rogue AI agents, and there could be other, much more serious risks on the horizon, including biological and nuclear threats,” he warned.

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, meanwhile, emphasised the benefits of AI in research and medicine, as well as its potential for “creating jobs in entirely new industries”.

He told reporters that “we have got to debunk some of the myths out there,” and called for “responsible optimism.”

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei set off alarm bells on Saturday when he called on companies in the sector to slow down their development in order to better understand the risks, receiving support from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk.

US President Donald Trump and several members of his government have, by contrast, reiterated in recent days their determination not to constrain the sector, out of concern that doing so would allow China to gain the upper hand.

Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta, has also rejected calls to slow the development, arguing that market forces and the risk of litigation are the best safeguards.

Source: punchng.com

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News

Mambilla power: Nigeria wins $3.38bn battle, 1,500MW project gets lifeline

Published

4 hours ago

September 18, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Federal Government has won a nearly nine-year international arbitration battle against Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited over the long-delayed 1,500MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, defeating claims that put Nigeria’s potential exposure at more than $3.38bn.

The project was originally conceived as a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant in Taraba State, but the Federal Government later reduced the planned capacity by about 50 per cent to 1,525MW before subsequently rescoping it to about 1,500MW to make it financially viable and “bankable” for lenders.

President Bola Tinubu confirmed the victory in a State House statement on Thursday, saying an International Arbitration Tribunal under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France, issued an award in Nigeria’s favour and rejected Sunrise’s claims.

The arbitration battle dates back to October 10, 2017, when Sunrise commenced proceedings against Nigeria at the ICC International Court of Arbitration over an alleged breach of a 2003 agreement concerning the development of the Mambilla power project.

According to the Presidency, Sunrise demanded $680m as a settlement sum and interest in the latest arbitration relating to another case in which it is claiming more than $2.7bn in compensation and interest over disputes associated with the development of the Mambilla project in Taraba State.

Combined, the two related claims put Nigeria’s potential exposure at more than $3.38bn.

The final award issued on September 17, 2026, came nearly nine years after the company commenced arbitration proceedings against the Federal Government.

Tinubu said the ruling had removed a major impediment that prevented the multibillion-dollar power project from progressing. “Today’s ICC ruling clears the single biggest legal hurdle that has paralysed the Mambilla hydro power project for years,” the President said.

Details of the award earlier reported by TheCable showed that the three-member tribunal dismissed Sunrise’s claim for a declaration that Nigeria breached its contractual obligations under a settlement agreement and an addendum entered into by the parties.

The tribunal also rejected the company’s request for an order compelling Nigeria to pay $400m, comprising a settlement sum of $200m and another $200m claimed as a default payment.

According to the report, the tribunal further declared that Sunrise promoter, Leno Adesanya, was bound by the arbitration agreement with Nigeria under the settlement agreement and addendum.

It consequently held that it had jurisdiction over Nigeria’s counterclaim against Adesanya and Sunrise. The tribunal also ordered Sunrise and Adesanya to reimburse Nigeria for 75 per cent of the legal fees and expenses incurred by the country in defending the arbitration.

Nigeria’s legal fees were put at $11.82m, of which $2.5m is expected to be covered directly from funds held in escrow by the ICC and released upon notification of the final award.

Sunrise and Adesanya were ordered to pay the outstanding $9.32m, alongside interest at an annual rate of 10 per cent, compounded annually from the date of notification of the final award until the amount is fully paid.

The arbitration costs were fixed at $1.66m, with Sunrise and Adesanya expected to bear 75 per cent while Nigeria would shoulder the remaining 25 per cent.

TheCable identified the three members of the tribunal as Melaine van Leeuwen, who presided over the panel, alongside Stavros Brekoulakis and Simon Nesbitt as co-arbitrators.

Nigeria was represented by a legal team led by Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh of Paul Hastings LLP.

Tinubu commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, alongside officials of the Federal Ministry of Justice, for their handling of the dispute.

He also praised the country’s legal team for what he described as its professional defence of Nigeria’s interests.

“This latest decision affirms the Nigerian State’s determination not to succumb to predatory and exploitative claims by corrupt local and international entities and their enablers and funders,” Tinubu said.

Tinubu hails ex-Presidents

The President also hailed former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who testified in Nigeria’s defence during the arbitration proceedings.

“I commend the patriotism and support of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, and late President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, who testified in the case, which dated back to an illegal 2003 contract to build a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant in Taraba State under a build-operate-transfer model. The Federal Executive Council never authorised the contract,” he said.

Tinubu also acknowledged former ministers, Babatunde Fashola and Suleiman Adamu, who participated as witnesses in the case, as well as experts involved in Nigeria’s defence.

He further commended the National Security Adviser for supporting the government’s case and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for its investigation into the dispute.

Two-decade delay

The dispute has its roots in an agreement reached more than two decades ago over the proposed development of the Mambilla power project. The 2003 contract provided for the construction of a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant in Taraba State under a build-operate-transfer model.

In 2016, then Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, described the project as one that would generate about 3,000MW.

However, in February 2021, then Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, announced that the Federal Government had revised the planned capacity downward by 50 per cent, from 3,050MW to about 1,525MW.

The stated reason was to reduce the project cost by about $1bn and make it more financially viable.

In July 2021, Mamman told the Senate Committee on Power that the project had subsequently been rescoped to 1,500MW to make it “bankable” and acceptable to lenders.

He said the original 3,050MW capacity was not considered financially viable under prevailing market conditions.

The original project was estimated at about $5bn–$5.8bn, while the rescoped project was reported at roughly 1,500–1,525MW and about $4bn.

The parties subsequently attempted to resolve the dispute through a settlement agreement in 2020.

However, disagreement over the implementation of that settlement led to further arbitration, with Sunrise seeking payment from the Federal Government for allegedly failing to honour the agreement.

The Mambilla project itself has remained largely on the drawing board despite successive administrations identifying it as a major component of efforts to increase Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity.

The project has suffered repeated setbacks arising from legal disputes, financing challenges and changes to its implementation arrangements.

A Federal Ministry of Power implementation document had identified the arbitration, completion of financing arrangements with the Export-Import Bank of China and the need to re-scope the project among the challenges affecting its execution.

In the latest case, Tinubu said the government would continue to honour legitimate contractual obligations and work with genuine investors while defending the country against claims it considered unjustified.

“I want to assure you that while our country remains committed to partnering with genuine investors and honouring its legal obligations, it will continue to defend all opportunistic claims instituted against our commonwealth strongly,” the President said.

The arbitration victory also comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s efforts to defend itself against multibillion-dollar international claims arising from disputed government contracts.

In 2023, Nigeria recorded another major legal victory when a United Kingdom court set aside an $11bn arbitration award obtained by Process & Industrial Developments Limited over a failed gas processing agreement.

The PUNCH earlier reported that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to 75 years’ imprisonment in absentia over a N33.8bn money laundering and fraud case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Omotosho further directed Mamman to refund the outstanding balance from the N22bn the prosecution established was diverted from funds meant for the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects.

Former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, recently made an assessment of Nigeria’s power sector, blaming over a decade of stalled investment on policy inconsistency, weak infrastructure development, and the abrupt discontinuation of a financing framework that had begun attracting global capital into electricity generation projects.

Nnaji spoke in Lagos at the 2026 conference of the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics, where he addressed participants on the future of Nigeria’s energy mix, the role of natural gas in powering the economy, the financing bottlenecks facing major projects, and the long-standing delays around strategic assets such as the Mambilla hydropower project.

Nnaji regretted that Nigeria has gone 11 years without financing any new major power plant, a situation he traced directly to the dismantling of a government-backed financing support mechanism introduced during his tenure as minister.

Expanding beyond the financing challenge, Nnaji argued that Nigeria must take a realistic and pragmatic view of energy transition, especially in light of recent global events.

Source: punchng.com

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