LG Autonomy Absent in National Assembly Constitution Amendment Bills

The Senate has passed 35 of the 44 bills in the Constitution Amendment bills to the President for assent, indicating that they have bowed to the pressure of the state governors’ refusal to pass the local government autonomy clause.

The lawmakers directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to transmit the 35 bills that have met the requirement of the provision of Section 9(2) of the Constitution, to the President for assent.

The constitution demands that at least 24 state assemblies must have passed the bill before the constitution amendment bill is transmitted to the President for assent. So far, the 35 bills have been considered by 27 state Houses of Assembly and approved by at least 24 state assemblies as required by law.

The states are: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Rivers and Yobe.

The Senate stated that Section 9(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended provides that an Act to alter the provisions of the constitution can be passed only when it is supported by 2/3 majority of members of the Senate, and the House of Representatives, and approved by 24 state Houses of Assembly.

It recalled that 68 bills seeking to alter provisions of the constitution were presented at the floor of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday February 23, 2022, for passage.

It also added that the Senate and the House of Representatives approved 44  of the bills without difference and were transmitted to the state Houses of Assembly for their resolution; on March 27, 2022.