The South West Zonal Public Hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution is currently underway in Lagos, with a broad array of stakeholders in attendance. The session is being moderated by the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, led by Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele of Ekiti State.
The event has drawn leaders from across the South West geopolitical zone, including national and state lawmakers, traditional rulers, civil society groups, women organizations, and youth groups, all eager to contribute to the constitutional amendment process.
Key proposals under discussion include reforms related to local government autonomy, the creation of new states, electoral and judicial reforms, state police, human rights protections, and other national issues.
Meanwhile, a similar session is holding in Enugu for the South East zone, where senators from the five South East states, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organizations, constitutional consultants, women and youth representatives are actively participating.
Among the major issues being debated in the South East are the creation of an additional state to bring parity to the region, the legalization of independent candidacy in elections, the constitutional recognition of local governments as the third tier of government, and rotational presidency among the country’s regions.
Other proposals include assigning constitutional roles to traditional institutions, mandating that governorship election disputes end at the Court of Appeal, the establishment of state police to operate alongside federal police, compulsory basic education for all children, and enhanced gender equality through greater legislative representation for women.
The zonal public hearings are part of the National Assembly’s nationwide consultations aimed at gathering citizens’ input on key areas of constitutional reform.
