In a significant move, 39 constitutional amendment bills have successfully passed their second reading in Nigeria’s House of Representatives. The proposed amendments cover a wide range of sectors, including judicial reforms, electoral matters, security, policing, inclusive governance, and the legislature.
Key bills among the proposals include:
- State and Local Government Police – A bill to amend the 1999 Constitution, allowing for the establishment of state police and local government police to address security concerns more effectively.
- Simultaneous Elections – A bill to alter the Constitution so that general elections for the office of the president, state governors, National Assembly members, state Houses of Assembly, and local government councils would be held on the same date, as determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly.
- Court of Appeal as Final Court for Election Petitions – A proposal to make the Court of Appeal the final court of appeal for governorship, national, and state House of Assembly election petitions.
- Proclamation of National Assembly Inauguration – A bill to alter the powers of the Clerk of the National Assembly, allowing the Chief Justice of Nigeria to proclaim the inauguration of the National Assembly.
- FCT House of Assembly – A bill to establish the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) House of Assembly, further enhancing governance in the capital region.
- Seats for Persons with Disabilities – A proposal to provide special seats for physically challenged persons in Nigeria’s federal, state, and local legislative bodies, ensuring better representation.
- Public Servants in Healthcare and Education – A bill to amend the Constitution to allow public servants to engage in healthcare education, production, and services, beyond just farming and related sectors.
- Political Party Registration and Regulation – A bill to establish a Political Parties Registration and Regulatory Commission tasked with overseeing the registration, regulation, and monitoring of political parties in Nigeria.
- Election Petition Appeals – A bill to ensure that all appeals arising from election petition tribunals are resolved before the swearing-in of elected officials.
- Local Government Area Elections – A proposal to grant INEC the power to conduct local government area council elections, further decentralizing electoral processes.
- Defection and Political Party Resignation – A bill to require members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to officially resign from their political party before defecting to another.
- National Local Government Electoral Commission – A bill to establish a National Local Government Electoral Commission to independently oversee elections for local government chairmen and councilors across Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory.
These bills were introduced without debate during the session, signaling that they will be addressed in subsequent legislative activities. The passing of these bills marks a step toward reforms in governance and electoral processes, which could significantly impact the political landscape in Nigeria.
