Nigeria, Nov. 24 -- Nigeria's constitutional amendment process entered its crucial stage on Monday as the House of Representatives and the Senate convened a joint retreat with the Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly in Abuja.

The event, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel on Monday, brought together federal legislators, state-level presiding officers and members of the Constitution Review Committees of both chambers.

It marked the 2nd joint retreat on the review of the 1999 Constitution, and served as the final major engagement before the National Assembly concludes voting on the constitution alteration bills.

At the opening of the retreat, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, told Speakers of State Assemblies that they now ...