The Renaissance Care and Empowerment Foundation (RECEF) has called on the Kogi State House of Assembly to ensure transparency, public participation and broad consultation in its consideration of constitutional amendment proposals before the House.
RECEF, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Ambassador Idris Ozovehe Muraina, specifically urged the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, and members of the 8th Assembly to engage constituents and stakeholders before taking any decision on the proposed amendments.
The organisation said the National Assembly had in September 2026 transmitted a constitutional alteration bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly, adding that the National Assembly later clarified that the bill currently transmitted relates specifically to the establishment of State Police Services, while other proposed alterations are expected to follow after completing the required legislative processes.
It stressed that the development made it necessary for the Kogi Assembly to establish a strong democratic standard by ensuring that citizens have adequate opportunity to understand the proposals and make their views known.
According to RECEF, the State House of Assembly is the “People’s House,” and lawmakers have a responsibility to listen to the people they represent on matters as important as constitutional amendment.
The organisation cited Sections 9 and 14 of the 1999 Constitution, noting that Section 9 gives state Houses of Assembly a role in constitutional alteration, while Section 14 affirms that sovereignty belongs to the people and that their participation in government should be ensured.
RECEF therefore urged members of the Assembly to return to their constituencies to seek the views of their constituents, while also organising a well-publicised public hearing or stakeholders’ town hall meeting involving civil society organisations, professional associations, traditional and religious leaders, women and youth groups, persons with disabilities, academics, security experts, community leaders and the media.
It said citizens should be given adequate information, sufficient notice and opportunities to submit memoranda and make their positions known before the House takes any final decision.
The organisation stressed that public consultation would not diminish the constitutional authority of lawmakers to vote, but would help them make informed decisions based on the concerns and interests of their constituents.
“Constitutional amendment is too important to be handled quietly or hurriedly,” RECEF said, warning that any process that creates an impression of selective or predetermined concurrence could undermine public confidence.
It also called on the Assembly to protect its legislative independence, saying decisions on constitutional amendments should reflect the judgment of elected representatives after listening to their constituents rather than pressure from the Executive, political interests or other considerations.
RECEF noted that Kogi civil society organisations had already contributed to the national constitutional review process through the Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET).
It recalled that KONGONET convened a stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Lokoja on April 2, 2024, in response to the National Assembly’s call for memoranda on constitutional review, adding that the outcome of the engagement informed submissions made to the National Assembly.
The foundation urged the Assembly to recognise the existing contributions of civil society and treat CSOs as partners in democratic governance capable of providing community perspectives, research, technical knowledge and platforms for citizen engagement.
RECEF said it was not directing lawmakers to vote for or against the State Police amendment or any other proposal that might subsequently be transmitted to the House, but was concerned about the integrity and openness of the process.
It consequently urged the Assembly to publish a clear timetable for considering constitutional amendment proposals, allow citizens and organisations to submit memoranda, encourage lawmakers to consult their constituencies and hold an inclusive state-level public hearing.
The organisation also called for engagement with civil society and other stakeholders, public disclosure of the Assembly’s eventual decisions and resolutions, and protection of the legislature’s independence from undue influence.
“Members of the 8th Assembly should remember that their decisions today will become part of Nigeria and Kogi State’s democratic history,” RECEF said.
“The people are watching and expect their representatives to do what is right in accordance with the Constitution and the wishes of those who elected them.”
The foundation added that posterity would remember not only how lawmakers voted but also whether Kogites were given a genuine opportunity to participate before decisions on constitutional amendments were taken.
It therefore appealed to the Speaker and members of the Assembly to open the doors of the “People’s House,” listen to citizens and ensure that Kogi State’s position emerges from an informed, transparent and democratic process.