THE Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, has called on the National Assembly to ensure the passage of 45 Critical Alteration bills, warning that a premature struggle for power as 2027 elections draw near, is threatening to derail critical constitutional reforms.
Speaking at a town hall meeting yesterday in Abuja, Abuja on Thursday, he lamented that the National Assembly had missed its self-imposed December 2025 deadline the bills.

Nwankwo expressed concern that political ambitions for the next election cycle are already overshadowing the legislative agenda.
He said “The indication we received at the beginning was that, by December 2025 at the latest, these bills would have been passed.
“Unfortunately, I think politics set in far too early. We are almost at the point where politicians are focused on the struggle for power.”

Nwankwo called on lawmakers to “step down” the politics to allow the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to conclude work on the 12 thematic areas of reform before active campaigning begins.
The thematic areas include judicial and electoral reforms, local government autonomy, and the devolution of powers.
He observed that the Special Seats Bill for women, which aims to correct the gender imbalance in the legislature remains one such critical bills.

Nwankwo insisted that “You cannot have 469 members of the National Assembly and have under 20 of them only be women.
“It is unjust, it is unfair, and it is undemocratic. If there is anything short of passing that bill, Nigerians will be terribly disappointed.”
Nwankwo also argued that the burden of reform should not rest solely on the legislature, noting that many current proposals are private member bills rather than executive-led initiatives.

“The most important responsibility of passing reforms rests with the executive.
“It is the executive that knows what it has promised Nigerians and what it should implement for the improvement of society,” he adds.
Responding to the concerns, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Honourable Benjamin Kalu, assured citizens that the 10th House remains committed to a national rebirth process.

Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, described the constitution as a “living document” that must evolve.
“A nation’s constitution is not merely a legal document; it is the mirror of its aspirations and the machinery of its progress,” Kalu said.
He pointed that the process remains inclusive and responsive to the public will, aimed at strengthening governance and deepening democracy.

The dialogue also touched on the high-stakes debate over state policing, a move championed by President Bola Tinubu.
Nwankwo emphasised that while state policing is essential for addressing insecurity, the National Assembly must ensure stringent “safeguards for citizens’ rights” are included to prevent abuse.
As the window for legislative action narrows, the civil society leader urged the political class to move beyond legal frameworks and demonstrate a genuine respect for the rule of law.

He said “Every effort will continue, we in civil society will continue to advocate for changes that reflect what citizens expect of our legal framework and how our democracy should be practised.”
The 45 Constitutional Alteration Bills included the Inclusive Governance bill which champions special seats bill to increase women’s representation, Security and Policing which covers establishing State Policing with safeguards against abuse of rights, Local Government autonomy and fiscal responsibility at the third tier of government, Judicial Reform aimed at strengthening the independence and efficiency of the judiciary and the Devolution of Powers to ensure movement of Moving specific items from the exclusive to the concurrent.