Reps vote to bypass presidential assent on bills

Members of the federal house of representatives on Wednesday voted to effect 71 amendments to different sections of the 1999 constitution, including one sidelining the president on bills he doesn’t assent within 30 days.

The amendments approved by the lower house border on legislative immunity, local government autonomy, state creation, indigeneship and citizenship.

The amendments also led to a reduction of the power accruing to the president, as Section 59, which was among those amended, empowered the lawmakers to bypass the president to sign a bill.

“Within seven days, the president of the senate shall convene a joint sitting of the national assembly to reconsider the bill,” the amendment read.

“And if passed by two-thirds majority of members of both houses at such joint sitting, the bill shall become law and the assent of the president shall not be required.”

However, the only condition for bypassing the president is his failure to assent to a bill presented to him within 30 days.

The reps also backed the adoption of referendum for state creation.

They, however, rejected the amendment of Section 9 to allow for a referendum in determining the fate of the national conference recommendations.

Among the 261 house members who participated in the process, 252 members voted in favour of the amendments, eight voted against and one abstained.

A two-third vote (240 of the 360-members) is required to amend the constitution.

The report will be forwarded to the 36 state houses of assembly for their concurrence.

Some others matters for amendment are independent candidature in elections, budgetary process, life pension for national assembly heads and role for traditional rulers.

An alteration of Section 7, among others, stops revenue allocation from the federation account to local governments that are not democratically elected.

They also approved the dissolution of local government administrations at the expiration of four years, commencing from the swearing-in date of the members of councils.

In other amendments, house members approved independent candidacy in elections in Nigeria.

A new amendment makes it mandatory for the president to address a joint meeting of the national assembly once a year.

The office of the auditor-general of the federation, Nigerian police, revenue mobilisation allocation and fiscal commission, national security agencies have now been placed on a firstline charge from Nigeria’s consolidated revenue account.

House members equally approved life pension for the president and deputy president of the senate, as well as speaker and deputy speaker of the house of representatives.

Those impeached from office are not to benefit from the life pension.