Constitution Amendment: Reps adopt resolutions from State Houses of Assembly

From Kemi Yesufu

The House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted returns from the state Houses of Assembly on the constitution alteration Bills 2018.

This followed the adoption of a motion by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Yussuff Lasun and 53 other lawmakers.

It however was the Majority Leader of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila who read out the motion.

Lasun in the motion referred to the provisions of section 9 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) on the procedure of constitution amendment .

” Also aware that Thirty- Three (33) bills seeking to alter various provisions of the constitution  were presented at the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday  26th July  and Thursday 27th July , 2017 respectively.”

Both the Senate and the House, he said, “passed fifteen (15) of the bills without any difference and have since transmitted same to the state Houses of Assembly for their resolutions while 4 (four) of the bills were passed with differences and have been committed to,a conference committee for further legislative action.”

35 states except Lagos sent in their returns. And the 12 altercation bills satisfied the provision of section 9(2) of the 1999 constitution for their passage into law.

On Bill No2, ( Authorisation of expenditure in absence of appropriation, ) 28 states voted Yes, and 6 states voted No. 1 state abstained.

Bill No 4 (Financial autonomy for state legislatures, 33 states vote Yes, one state voted and 1 abstained.

Bill No 8 ( The Legislature) Yes 34 states, one state voted No. On (political parties and electoral matters) 32 states voted Yes and 2 abstained .

Bill No 15. ( The Nigeria Police Force) 34 states voted Yes and 1 state voted against it.

Bill No 16 ( restriction of the tenure of the President and Governors) 32 state said Yes and 2 states voted No while 1 abstained.

Bill No. 20 (submission from the Judiciary) 29 states voted Yes, while 2 states said No and 4 states abstained.

Also on Bill 21 ( determination of pre- election matters) 33 states voted Yes and 2 states abstained .

Bill No. 22, Consequential amendment  on Civil Defence ) 27 states voted Yes and 1 state voted No while 7 abstained.

Bill No. 24, ( procedure for overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional altercation 24 states voted Yes, while 8 states voted No. 3 states abstained.

On reducing age for contesting election, Bill 27, 33 states agreed while 2 states abstained. And on the timeline for the presentation of  appropriation bill, 27 states voted Yes,  6 states voted No while 2 abstained

Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila opined that Lagos took part in the exercise, wondering why the state was  not included on the list.