As the National Assembly warms up to resume plenary on Tuesday, January 27, after a seven-week Christmas and New Year recess, the Senate is also getting set to face its priority legislative activities frontally.

New Telegraph gathered that some priority areas to be confronted by the Senate are the ongoing Constitution review, the Electoral Act amendment bill and legislative processes on several bills which have been presented earlier on the floor.

Other priority issues to be given attention by the apex legislative assembly are: debate on the N58.18 trillion 2026 budget, the worsening security challenges in the country and some pending requests by President Bola Tinubu.

It was also learnt that the Senate will, in line with its standing rule, suspend its plenary proceedings tomorrow in honour of one of the members, the late Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who died during recess.

Akwashiki, who represented Nasarawa North Senatorial District on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), died on December 31, 2025, in an Indian hospital, after a protracted illness.

Throwing light on the agenda of the Senate, the Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), in a recent statement he issued, hinted on some of the agenda of the Red Chamber, saying that the 2026 Appropriation Bill had reached the Committee stage and would be given utmost priority on resumption due to its significance to the well-being of the people.

He also noted that the Senate had been working with key stakeholders to review the 1999 Constitution with a view to delivering a people-centred document that would give a progressive governance structure to Nigerians.

“The review of the 1999 Constitution is already at an advanced stage. We are poised to transmit all the proposals to the State Houses of Assembly for consideration. Before the first half of 2026 ends, we should be able to conclude the constitution review that will devolve more functional powers to the sub-national governments. However, this depends on the decisions of the state legislatures to approve all the proposals.

“Also, the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is at the stage of completion. The proposal was painstakingly designed to enhance the credibility and transparency of the country’s electoral process. When it becomes effective, the proposed legislation will address the prevailing realities that characterise our political environment,” he stated.

The Senate Leader pointed out that as soon as the Senate resumed plenary after the recess, the lawmakers would fast track the process and transmit it to President Bola Tinubu for presidential assent.

Also, Bamidele said that the apex Chamber would look into the issue of security through the planned National Security Summit, which is already at its peak, having concluded public hearings in the country’s six geo-political zones, where stakeholders, at different levels, made significant recommendations.

He disclosed that the summit would be held in the first quarter of 2026 in Abuja as part of oversight obligations to deepen national security by ensuring internal stability across the federation.

“The outcome of the summit, we believe, will complement the subsisting response strategy of the federal government and the ongoing collaboration with our global partners in combating violent extremism that endangers our peaceful coexistence,” he said.

Similarly, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti-South), gave credence to the views earlier expressed by the Senate Leader while confirming the Senate’s preparations for resumption.

He said that the Constitution and the Electoral Act would be priorities of the Red Chamber after resumption, just as he noted that before the National Assembly went on recess in December last year, the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review had already sat at a joint session with its House of Representatives counterpart to collate and review submissions made by stakeholders.

The Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review is chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin.

According to him, the report of the joint sitting is with the Senate and ready for consideration.