Nigerians on Monday stormed the National Assembly’s public hearing on the 1999 Constitution review, with fiery demands — from state and community-policing to creation of new states, electoral reforms, and reserved seats for women and persons with disabilities.
Women’s groups, traditional rulers, civil society, and security agencies all pushed for inclusion, accountability, and stronger federalism. Heated protests broke out, as women demanded guaranteed seats in parliament, while traditional rulers insisted on formal recognition of their roles.
The Constitutional review involves 87 amendment bills, with some key areas generating robust debate. These areas were State and Community-policing, reserved seats for Women and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), electoral reforms, and states creation.
Speaking at the event, President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to constitutional reforms that would strengthen Nigeria’s institutions, promote justice, and guarantee fundamental rights.
He also called on Nigerians to actively participate in the ongoing constitutional review process, saying it is a historic opportunity to entrench good governance, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
President Bola Tinubu, speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, pledged support for sweeping reforms, calling the Constitution “a living document” that must reflect citizens’ aspirations.
“The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It is not static, but a living document that must continually respond to the realities, aspirations, and challenges of our people”, Tinubu stated.
He stressed that the ongoing review must aim to deepen federalism, entrench equity and accountability, and provide Nigerians with stronger democratic institutions that safeguard their freedoms.
The House Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, hailed the exercise as Nigeria’s most inclusive review yet, promising the amendments would reflect the people’s will, not just the political elite. He emphasised that the legitimacy of the new amendments will depend on their acceptance by Nigerians themselves.
Kalu described the current stage of the process as the culmination of months of public consultations across the six geopolitical zones, during which citizens, civil society groups, traditional leaders, security agencies, and professional bodies submitted memoranda and testimonies.
Before the commencement of the hearing, hundreds of women had protested to push for a bill that would add women-only seats in the Senate and House of Representatives.
A caravan of buses, vans, and a truck, blasting lively Afrobeats, wound its way through the city streets, led by protesting women that were demanding representation. They subsequently presented their memoranda, saying that only inclusive governance could improve governance in the country.
A representative of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) noted that ahead of the 2027 elections, there is need for reforms to guide elections, especially the provision for electronic transmission of results. According to him, this measure could enhance transparency and ensure free and fair elections, insisting that future elections must adopt mechanisms that instill confidence that votes are accurately counted.
Speaking earlier, Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas described the hearing as a significant moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey. He praised the strong participation of women and reaffirmed support for proposals reserving parliamentary and ministerial seats for women.
The Presidency, meanwhile, shot down Nasir el-Rufa’i’s weekend claim that Tinubu is plotting to be “president for life.” Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga branded the allegation “baseless,” insisting Tinubu will leave office by 2031 if re-elected in 2027.
El-Rufa’i, speaking over the weekend, had urged former vice-president Atiku Abubakar to rally Nigerians against President Tinubu in 2027, alleging that the current administration is centralising power instead of devolving it to the lower levels. “If we don’t come together and end this Tinubu administration by 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya, to be president for life. All the signs are there, this is how Paul Biya started”, El-Rufa’i had said.
Reacting in a statement on Monday, presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described el-Rufa’i’s remarks as “unfounded claims and speculations”.
He said, “It is increasingly evident that el-Rufa’i has recognised the futility of attempts by his associates in his new party to prevent President Tinubu’s likely re-election in 2027. This plot is proving to be unattainable, a mission doomed to fail”.
Onanuga noted that President Tinubu’s popularity remains strong, especially in the North, citing the reception he received in Kaduna last Friday.
According to Onanuga, el-Rufa’i “resorted to spreading further unfounded stories, including the claim that President Tinubu intends to become a ‘life president’ because of Tinubu’s reception in the North-West state. “This stands in stark contrast to el-Rufa’i’s narrative that the region has abandoned the President”, he said.
The Presidency further dismissed el-Rufa’i’s suggestion of a plan for tenure elongation as “baseless and absurd”. “President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027”, Onanuga stressed.
He added that Governor Uba Sani might need to reach out to his predecessor, as “El-Rufa’i could benefit from some professional counselling to steer him away from his recent hallucinations and political fabrications on Tinubu and 2027”.
