By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Senate, on Thursday, commenced consideration of two executive bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seeking to reform Nigeria’s criminal justice system and strengthen the administration of public senior secondary education across the country.
The first bill seeks to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and replace it with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2026, while the second proposes amendments to the National Secondary Education Commission Act.
Reading the President’s letters during plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the proposed ACJA 2026 is designed to modernize criminal justice administration within the Federal Capital Territory and other federal courts by addressing deficiencies identified in the implementation of the 2015 law.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu also transmitted the National Secondary Education Commission, Amendment, Bill, 2026, to the Senate for consideration.
Akpabio informed lawmakers that the Federal Executive Council approved the proposed amendments at its meeting of April 30, 2026, after which the Federal Ministry of Justice reviewed and finalized the draft to ensure compliance with constitutional and legislative drafting standards.
He explained that the amendment bill is intended to strengthen the administration, governance, and oversight of public senior secondary education across the country as part of the federal government’s efforts to improve the quality of education.
The Senate President subsequently referred both bills to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for legislative processing. The committee is expected to report back within one week on the National Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, while the proposed Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2026 is expected to be returned to the Senate within four weeks for further legislative consideration.
