Reps to vote on constitution amendment next Wednesday, Thursday

The Nigerian House of Representatives will on Wednesday and Thursday vote on the Constitution amendment report for onward transmission to State Houses of Assembly for concurrence.

Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House, who announced this at resumed plenary on Tuesday said, all members are to participate in the legislative exercise.

Gbajabiamila stressed that no member of the House is allowed to embark on any oversight function or Committee assignment on the two days slated for the constitution amendment procedure.

“Honourable members, we will be voting on the first set of Constitution amendments on Wednesday, 3rd and Thursday, 4th of March, 2022.

“Every member is expected to be on the floor to cast their votes. There will be no Committee meetings and no oversight,” he said.

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The speaker had last Wednesday at plenary disclosed that members will vote electronically during the consideration of the report on Constitution amendment and urged to liaise with the clerk to ensure their computers are fixed.

“The constitution amendment voting is coming up in a week or two, and we will need the required numbers. It is the only way we can vote on a constitutional amendment,” he had said.

Ahmed Wase, deputy speaker of the House and chairman of Constitution Review Ad-hoc Committee, had at a meeting with the conference of speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria in Abuja on February 11 said the thematic areas for the amendment include; Local Government Administration and Autonomy, the Legislature, Judicial Reform, State Creation and.State Police.

Wase identified other areas as: “devolution of powers, women and vulnerable groups, strengthening of institutions, good governance, political parties and electoral matters, traditional institutions, FCT administration, fundamental human rights and national security.”