Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Benjamin Kalu, has said Nigerians are increasingly demanding key constitutional reforms — especially state police and fiscal federalism — to strengthen governance, security, and democratic accountability across the country.

Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the second Joint Retreat of the House and Senate Committees on Constitution Review, Kalu stressed that both the National Assembly and the 36 State Houses of Assembly must rise to public expectations as the nation advances toward long-awaited amendments to the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Describing the retreat as “a defining chapter in our constitutional journey,” Kalu commended lawmakers for their patriotism, intellectual rigour, and bipartisan commitment to the review process.

He noted that the committees had made significant progress — citing three capacity-building retreats, six zonal public hearings, and wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders such as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, political parties, traditional rulers, civil society groups, women’s organisations, youth groups, and the security community.

He said the feedback from these engagements revealed a clear national consensus: “Nigerians yearn for a Constitution that empowers local governments, ensures credible elections, strengthens fiscal federalism, guarantees gender inclusion and enhances accountability across all levels of government.”

Kalu added that the October 2025 Lagos Retreat produced broad agreement on priority reforms that enjoy strong public support and political viability.

Highlighting the crucial role of State Assemblies in the amendment process, he reminded participants that Section 9 of the Constitution requires the approval of at least 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly for any alteration to become law.

“The success or failure of this review will ultimately be determined not here in Abuja, but in the State Assemblies,” he said. “You are the gatekeepers of constitutional reform, and history will judge the actions we take in the coming weeks.”

He noted that the retreat would be the final major engagement before lawmakers vote on the constitution alteration bills, adding that the moment had come to move “from deliberation to decision, from consultation to action, from debate to delivery.”

Kalu outlined key reform areas expected by Nigerians, including: devolving power to strengthen grassroots governance; localising internal security through mechanisms such as state police; ensuring credible elections; entrenching fiscal federalism and equitable resource distribution; protecting citizens’ rights irrespective of gender, ethnicity, or religion; and guaranteeing full local government autonomy.

He also disclosed that all state governors will be briefed on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, as part of ongoing intergovernmental collaboration on the review process.

Kalu urged Speakers of State Assemblies to act as “ambassadors of reform,” assuring governors that the amendments were not intended to weaken executive authority but to reinforce federalism and improve governance nationwide.

“To my colleagues in the Senate and House: this is our moment. Let us rise to it,” he said, expressing confidence that the reforms would advance justice, equity, and national progress.

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, lauded the renewed commitment of lawmakers as they reconvened to advance work on the amendment bills. He said the gathering was aimed at formally adopting earlier resolutions and receiving reports from subcommittees handling different segments of the review.

Jibrin noted that the meeting would also ensure that State Houses of Assembly are adequately prepared to consider and pass the amendments once transmitted to them, just as he urged members to remain focused as the assignment enters its final phase and expressed confidence that the bills would be forwarded to state legislatures before the end of the year.