BREAKING: Bill To Stop President, Governors’ From Proclaiming New Legislatures Passes Second Reading

A bill aimed at stripping the President and governors of the power to proclaim a new session of the National and State Houses of Assembly was among 39 proposed laws that passed second reading in the House of Representatives.

Currently, the 1999 Constitution grants the President and governors the authority to issue proclamations, which are read by the Clerks of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly before new lawmakers are inaugurated for legislative duties.

Without such proclamations, the Assemblies cannot function, and neither the President nor the governors would be able to operate constitutionally due to the absence of a legislative arm of government.

Among the other significant bills that passed the process without debate was one proposing reforms to the nation’s electoral system. The proposed law aims to ensure that all litigation related to elections is resolved before the inauguration of election winners.

Additional bills include those seeking the creation of state police, special legislative seats for Persons with Disabilities (PWD), and representation for special interest groups.

House Leader Julius Ihonvbere requested the suspension of House rules to allow the second reading of the bills together, and there was no objection to the motion. Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, directed Ihonvbere to proceed with the request.

The bills were divided into six categories: 13 related to electoral matters, 10 on judicial reform, seven on the legislature, three focused on inclusive governance, one on security, and five others covering various issues.

One notable bill sponsored by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to make the recommendations of the National Judicial Council (NJC) mandatory for the removal of a head of a court, either by the President or a governor.

There is also a proposed law for the establishment of an Ecclesiastical Court of Appeal for the Federation, the 36 states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), along with another proposal to make the Court of Appeal the final authority for governorship and legislative election matters.

Other bills on electoral reforms seek to regulate election timelines within the Electoral Act and require members of Parliament wishing to defect from their political parties to first resign from their positions. They also propose amending the Constitution to extend the Court of Appeal’s jurisdiction to include election petitions arising from governorship and deputy governorship elections.

Further, some of the bills seek to grant the National Assembly the power to adjust timelines for election tribunals and enforce the compulsory resignation of National and State Executive members of political parties seeking elective positions.

Additionally, there is a push for constitutional amendments to ensure that presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and House of Assembly elections are held simultaneously on the same day, as determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly.