No fewer than 36 Constitution review bills have been slated for Second Reading on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Recall that the House had during the Tuesday and Wednesday plenary sessions passed 82 constitution amendment related legislations.
Among the bills is a proposal to establish the Office of the Prime Minister as Head of Government and the Office of the President as Head of State and to establish a framework for the mode of election to the said Offices and for related matters, sponsored by the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, and 59 others.
The lawmakers are also pushing for a bill seeking to review the mode of electing the State Governors, Deputy Governors, and the appointment of the Commissioners of States and for related matters; as well as a bill which seeks to review the means of election into the offices of the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Local Government Councils in Nigeria and for related matters.
Also gazetted for consideration is a bill seeking to reduce the lengthy period for determination of pre-election petition matters and provide for the establishment of pre-election Tribunals for pre-election matters and regulate the process of suspending a Member of the National Assembly from legislative duties and for related matters.
The bill is coming on the heels of the recent six months suspension of Senator Natasha Apoti-Uduaghan over alleged gross misconduct and sexual harassment leveled against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Also slated for Second Reading is a bill seeking to provide for change of simple majority in elections of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the State Governors and for related matters.
Another proposed bill seeks to review the requirements that qualify a Persons to be elected as President and Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Governors and Deputy Governor of a State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and for related matters, sponsored by Hon. Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere.
Also listed for Second Reading is a bill seeking to grant to the two Chambers of the National Assembly and States’ Houses of Assembly powers to Summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States respectively to answer questions on issues of national security or any matters whatsoever, over which the National Assembly and States’ Houses of Assembly, have powers to make laws and for related matters.
In the same vein, the lawmakers sponsored a bill seeking to provide for the Office of the Prime Minister as Head of Government and the Office of President as Head of State and to provide for a framework for the mode of election to the said Offices and for related matters; as well as a bill seeking to remove from Independent National Electoral Commission, the Powers of Registration and Regulation of Political Parties in Nigeria and transfer same to the Office of the Registrar General of Political Parties and for related matters.
The House is also expected to pass through Second Reading of a bill seeking to set timelines for the presentation of the Appropriations Bill and for related matters.
The three bills on judicial reforms, seek to set a time within which civil and criminal cases and matters are heard and determined at trials and Appellate Courts in order to eliminate unnecessary delays in justice administration and delivery; and for related matters; Bill seeking to increase the numbers of the Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in Nigeria and for related matters as well as Bill seeking to establish the Local Government Election Tribunals to Hear and Determine Election Petitions for the Offices of Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and Councilors of Local Government Councils and for Related matters.
The Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu had on Tuesday notified all the Members who sponsored bills on State creation of the 31st March, 2025 deadline to submit their request in line with established procedures.
In line with legislative practice, all constitution amendment related legislations are to be transmitted to the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu for further legislative action.
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