The House of Representative has held its Public Hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for North-East Zone ‘A’ in Gombe, covering Gombe, Bauchi, and Taraba States.
The event brought together key stakeholders from across the zone to deliberate on far-reaching constitutional reforms aimed at deepening democracy, promoting equity, and enhancing national development.
Since gaining independence, Nigeria has faced enduring challenges in crafting a constitutional framework that genuinely reflects the aspirations and diversity of its people.
Although previous amendments were made in 2010, 2011, 2017, and 2023, critical issues such as federalism, local governance, fiscal decentralisation, and the protection of fundamental rights remain unresolved.
Significant milestone
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State welcomed the initiative and described the review as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
“The Constitution is a living document, one that must be constantly updated to reflect the evolving needs and aspirations of our people,” he stated.
Governor Yahaya urged the Constitutional Review Committee to prioritise three critical areas:
Political stability through equitable representation and devolution of powers
Economic prosperity by strengthening fiscal federalism and resource control
Social justice through provisions for gender equity, the rights of marginalised groups, and protection of all citizens.
He expressed confidence that the Committee would give due consideration to Gombe State’s submissions, presented by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Zubair Umar.
Governor Yahaya also called for active participation from traditional rulers, civil society organisations, legal professionals, women’s and youth groups, and other stakeholders.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Review for North-East Zone ‘A’ and Chief Whip of the House, Rt. Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, explained that the nationwide exercise was in line with Section 62 of the Constitution, which mandates periodic reviews to ensure it remains a people-driven document.
“Our House Rules—Order 18, Rule 9—empower us to engage the public in this process to make the Constitution more inclusive and reflective of the people’s will,” Kumo said.
He gave the assurances that the committee would adopt principles of fairness, justice, and equity in evaluating presentations across the zone, and act in the broader interest of national unity.
Kumo also lauded Governor Yahaya for his exemplary leadership, citing impactful projects in the state and stating, “We are thankful to God for blessing Gombe with your kind of leadership.”
The Committee’s Consultant and former Governor of Bauchi State, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, said the review aimed to foster robust dialogue between citizens and lawmakers to produce a constitution that truly serves Nigerians.
He presented a compendium of proposed Bills from the National Assembly, grouped into thematic areas such as electoral and judicial reforms, inclusive governance, devolution of powers, fiscal reforms, security, human rights, and local government autonomy.
Highlights of the proposed amendments include:
- Conducting all general elections on the same day empowering INEC or a new commission to conduct local government elections.
- Creating a separate commission to register and regulate political parties
- Establishing an Electoral Offences Commission making the Court of Appeal the final court for all election matters except presidential cases
- Enabling National and State Assembly Clerks to proclaim inaugural sittings.
- Replacing the current presidential/governor proclamations
- Reserving special seats for women in national and state legislatures
- Establishing state police
Granting formal roles to traditional institutions - Clarifying issues of citizenship and indigeneship.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the Governors of Bauchi and Taraba States, the Chief Judge of Gombe State, and the Emir of Gombe, HRH Dr. Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, among others.
The event culminated in the presentation of memoranda by various groups and individuals, addressing demands for state and local government creation, new federal and state constituencies, and sector-specific reforms.
Lateefah Ibrahim