{
  "id": 7951299,
  "title": "Constitution amendment: States get 30-day deadline",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/constitution-amendment-states-get-30-day-deadline",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T05:02:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/constitution-amendment-states-get-30-day-deadline/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The National Assembly has sent the 2026 Constitution alteration bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for review, requesting their responses within a 30-day timeframe. The deadline, communicated on Wednesday by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, is not a constitutional deadline but an administrative one. This marks the beginning of the next phase of the constitutional amendment process, which requires approval from the state legislatures before proceeding. Ogunlana explained that the transmission adheres to Section 9 of the amended 1999 Constitution, which mandates the bill to receive approval from at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly. The National Assembly had previously passed the proposed alterations, which must now be reviewed and approved by two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures. The state legislatures are expected to consider the proposals according to their legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly within 30 days. The 30-day period was requested by the Clerk, but it is not mandated by the Constitution. The National Assembly is committed to adhering to the constitutional requirements for the alteration process and completing it before the end of the 10th National Assembly in June 2027.",
  "summary": "The National Assembly has sent the 2026 Constitution alteration bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly, asking them to respond within 30 days. Read More: https://punchng.com/constitution-amendment-states-get-30-day-deadline/",
  "key_points": [
    "National Assembly sends 2026 Constitution amendment bill to 36 state Houses of Assembly.",
    "30-day deadline is administrative, not constitutional.",
    "State legislatures must approve within 30 days, per Section 9 of 1999 Constitution."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The 30-day deadline for state Houses of Assembly to review the Constitution alteration bill tightens the timeline for the National Assembly to gather required approvals and meet its June 2027 target.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Constitution amendment: States get 30-day deadline",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/constitution-amendment-states-get-30-day-deadline-7952075",
        "published": "2026-09-17T05:06:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Trust",
        "title": "N’Assembly transmits 2026 Constitution amendment Bill to 36 states",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/nassembly-transmits-2026-constitution-amendment-bill-to-36-states",
        "published": "2026-09-17T05:42:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}