Nigeria’s House of Representatives has passed through second reading 39 bills seeking amendment to the 1999 constitution towards addressing several challenges in the country’s political, security, and electoral landscape.
The bills that were classified into judicial reforms, legislature, inclusive governance, security and policing, electoral matters, and others were read out at plenary by the House leader, Julius Ihonvbere and voted unanimously by members for second reading.
A look at some provisions in some of the bills suggests that members want the determination of all appeals arising from election petition tribunals before the swearing-in of a president, vice president, governors, and their deputies and members of the national and state assemblies.
The amendments also seek to make the Court of Appeal the final court in Governorship, National and State Houses of Assembly matters, and with the National Assembly to have powers to alter timelines for election tribunals.
The lawmakers also want to give the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC powers to conduct local government elections and provide for the conduct of presidential, governorship, national, state assemblies, and local government elections in one day
They also want to make provision for the creation of state and local government police, establish FCT House of Assembly, expand the number of justices in the Supreme Court, confer jurisdiction on the Federal High Court to try offences arising from violations of the provisions of the Electoral Act and any other related act of the National Assembly.
Others include providing for six special seats for Special Interest Groups in the House, including women, and physically challenged persons and to ensure gender equality in the composition of the Federal Character Commission.
