The Nigerian Senate has established a 45-member committee tasked with reviewing and amending the country’s constitution.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced during a plenary session, revealing that the committee would be chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, with Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele serving as the deputy chairman.

Akpabio emphasized the need for a constitution review, pointing out that the 1999 constitution required adjustments to address various issues and align with current realities.

He highlighted the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a significant factor necessitating constitutional amendments.

“There is a need for us to touch some aspects of the constitution to bring them in line with current realities, particularly with the era of artificial intelligence and some of the things we have observed that need to be put right,” stated Akpabio.

To ensure comprehensive input, Akpabio directed the invitation of speakers from all State House of Assemblies to the National Assembly for interactions as part of the constitution amendment process.

“The Deputy Senate President, you also invite speakers of all state houses of assemblies for interaction with the Senate President before we go into the major issues of presenting the different memos,” he added.

The composition of the committee reflects representation from all states, geopolitical zones, and political parties in the Senate. Akpabio clarified the criteria for selection, ensuring a balanced representation.

“It is all political parties and all senatorial districts, all zones are taken care of. We are taking one senator per state because we are talking about the constitution amendment. One senator per state, and then we are also taking one senator representing each geopolitical zone,” he explained.

Akpabio announced that the constitution amendment committee would be inaugurated on the following Tuesday, allowing immediate commencement of its functions.

The committee will be responsible for addressing motions and resolutions related to constitution amendment presented to the Senate since the previous year.

Members of the constitution amendment committee include prominent figures such as Adams Oshiomole, Seriake Dickson, Ifeanyi Ubah, and Adebule Oluranti, among others, representing various states and zones across Nigeria.