The House of Representatives Thursday joined the Senate in voting for key Bills that would transform the political and legal democratic landscape in the country, though both chamber voted amendments that showed some sharp disagreements that is causing concern in the polity. Some of these are affirmative action for women, devolution of powers from the center to the units and citizenship and indigene ship.
The Senate had yesterday approved a provision in the constitution alteration bill, which gives room for independent candidacy in future elections in the country.
It also approved the restriction of someone who has been sworn in as president or governor to complete the term of the elected president or governor from contesting twice.
The senate approved a provision for the funding of the house of assembly of states directly from the consolidated revenue fund of the state.
The senate also approved the provision, which requires the president and governor to submit the names of persons nominated as ministers or commissioners within 30 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the senate or state house of assembly.
Among the bill passed by the House of Representatives today is the 35 percent affirmative action for women, not too young to run, financial autonomy for state legislature, reduction of authorization of expenditure before budget passage from 6 to three months.
Constitution amendments only become operative after they have been passed by at least 24 state houses of assembly and two-thirds of the national assembly.
The ball is now in the court of at least 24 Houses of Assemblies whose passage of the amendments will make the Constitution operational. Below is the table, showing the key areas of disagreements between the legislators in the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly
House Of Representatives Voting Pattern Today, Thursday
NUMBER | BILL | YES | NO |
1 | Members of the council of states | 274 | 6 |
2 | Authorization of expenditure | 295 | 0 |
3 | Devolution of power | 210 | 71 |
4 | Financial autonomy of state legislature | 286 | 10 |
5 | Distributable account for Local Governments to have their own special account | 291 | 12 |
6 | Democratic existence funding and tenure of LG council | 285 | 7 |
7 | State creation and boundary adjustment | 166 | 125 |
8 | Immunity for legislators for acts in course of duty | 288 | 10 |
9 | Political parties & electoral matters: Time to conduct bye elections & power to deregister parties | 293 | 2 |
10 | Presidential Assent | 10 | 28 |
11 | Time frame for submission of names of ministerial nominees | 248 | 46 |
12 | Appointment of minister from the FCT | 191 | 91 |
13 | Change of names of some LG councils: Ebonyi, Oyo, Ogun, Plateau and Rivers. | 220 | 57 |
14 | Independent candidacy | 275 | 14 |
15 | The Nigeria Police Force to become Nigerian Police | 280 | 9 |
16 | Restriction of the tenure of president and governor | 292 | 3 |
17 | Separation of accountant general of the federal government from accountant general of the federation | 274 | 23 |
18 | Make the office of the auditor-general of federation and for State financially independent | 289 | 11 |
18 | Financial autonomy for auditor general of federation and state | 289 | 11 |
19 | Separation of office of attorney general from the minister/commissioner of justice | 234 | 58 |
20 | Submissions from the Judiciary | 265 | 6 |
21 | Determination of pre-election matters | 288 | 3 |
22 | Consequential amendment on civil defense | 293 | 2 |
23 | Citizenship and indgeneship | 216 | 77 |
24 | Procedure for overriding presidential veto in constitutional alteration | 271 | 20 |
25 | Removal of law-making power from executive arm (Part 1) To remove NYSC, National Security Agencies/Public Complaints Commission from the constitution to enable only lawmakers make laws on them | 209 | 47 |
25 | Removal of law making power from executive arm (Part 2) Land Use Act. | 139 | 148 |
26 | Investment and securities tribunal | 270 | 12 |
27 | Reduction of age for election | 261 | 2 |
28 | Authorization of expenditure time frame for laying appropriation bill, passage etc | 251 | 7 |
29 | Deletion of state independent electoral commission. | 229 | 51 |
30 | Inclusion of Section 141 of the electoral act in the constitution | 241 | 16 |
Below are the 33 bills they considered and how the Senators voted yesterday, Wednesday:
BILLS | YES | NO | REMARK |
Members of the Council of States | 95 | NIL | Passed |
Devolution of Power | 90 | 5 | Not Passed |
Financial Autonomy of State Legislature | 90 | 5 | Passed |
Distributable account for LG’s to have their own special account | 84 | 8 | Passed |
Democratic Existence funding and tenure of LG council | 88 | 7 | Passed |
State creation and boundary adjustment | 47 | 48 | Not Passed |
Immunity for legislators for Acts in Course of Duty | 93 | 1 | Passed |
Political Parties and Electoral Matters : Time to conduct Bye Elections and Power to deregister parties | 90 | 0 | Passed |
Presidential Assent | 95 | 1 | Passed |
Time frame for submission of names of ministerial nominees | 75 | 19 | Passed |
Submission of Ministerial Nominees with their Portfolios | 78 | 16 | Passed |
35% affirmative action for women as ministers | 49 | 43 | Not Passed |
Submission of Commissioners Nominees with their Portfolios | 84 | 7 | Passed |
Submission of names of office of commissioners shall be attached with portfolio | 87 | 8 | Passed |
35% Affirmative action for women as states commissioners | 61 | 35 | NotPassed |
Authorization of expenditure | 93 | 1 | Passed |
Appointment of Minister from the FCT | 77 | 12 | Passed |
Change of names of some LG councils: Ebonyi, Oyo, Ogun, Pleateau and Rivers | 84 | 2 | Passed |
Independent Candidacy | 82 | 5 | Passed |
The Nigeria Police Force to become Nigerian Police | 87 | 2 | Passed |
Restriction of the tenure of President and Governor | 88 | 0 | Passed |
Separation of Office of the Accountant-General | 89 | 0 | Passed |
Office of Auditor General to be included in first line chat of consolidated revenue | 95 | 0 | Passed |
Separation of Office of the Attorney General from the Minister/Commissioner of Justice | 95 | 1 | Passed |
Submissions from the Judiciary | 95 | 2 | Passed |
Determination of pre-election matters | 97 | 0 | Passed |
Consequential Amendment on Civil Defence | 97 | 0 | Passed |
Citizenship and indigenship | 49 | 46 | Not Passed |
Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional Alteration | 87 | 4 | Passed |
Removal of law making power from Executive Arm | 89 | 3 | Passed |
Investment and Securities Tribunal | 76 | 14 | Passed |
Reduction of Age for Election | 86 | 10 | Passed |
Authorization of expenditure time frame for laying Appropriation bill, Passage etc | 94 | 0 | Passed |
Deletion of NYSC decree from CFRN | 88 | 33 | Passed |
Deletion of Public Complain Act from CFRN | 90 | 1 | Passed |
Deletion of National Security Agencies from the CFRN | 92 | 2 | Passed |
Deletion of land Use Act from CFRN | 46 | 44 | Not Passed |
Deletion of State INEC from CFRN | 73 | 19 | Passed |
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