The National Assembly has resolved to transmit the
Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill and 11 other Constitution Alteration
bills which have satisfied the provisions of Section 9(2) of the
1999 constitution to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
This followed the adoption of the bills by two-thirds of the 36
state Houses of Assembly as part of the fourth constitution
amendment exercise, which has 33 bills seeking to alter various
provisions of the constitution.
The Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill also known as the Reduction of Age
for Election bill, allows the age qualification for the offices of
the president and governor to be reduced from 40 to 35, and for
Senate, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly seats
to be reduced from 30 to 25 years.
Other alteration bills to be transmitted to the president are
Authorisation of Expenditure in Absence of Appropriation, Financial
Autonomy of State Legislatures, the Legislature, Political Parties
and Electoral Matters, the Nigerian Police Force, Restriction of
Tenure of President and Governor, and Submission from Judiciary
bills.
The list also includes alteration bills on Determination of
Pre-Election Matters, Consequential Amendment on Civil Defence,
Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional
Alteration and Time Line for the Presentation of Appropriation
Bills.
The Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, presented
the bills at plenary yesterday, and urged that they be transmitted,
while awaiting the resolution of some state assemblies on five
bills.
“While awaiting the resolution of some of the state Houses of
Assembly on some of the bills, the bills that have met the
requirements of the provisions of Section 9 of the constitution and
passed, be processed in line with the Authentication Act and
transmitted to the president for his assent to enable institutions
of government prepare for immediate implementation of policies and
programmes pursuant to the provisions,” Lawan said.
He said 35 state assemblies, excluding Lagos, have forwarded their
resolutions on the bills to the National Assembly.
The 33 alteration bills had been voted on by both legislative
chambers in July 2017, with the Senate approving 29, while the
House approved 21 bills. 17 of the bills had been approved by both
chambers without differences and transmitted to the state
assemblies, while four approved with amendments, were committed to
a conference committee.
The Authorisation of Expenditure in Absence of Appropriation
bill (No.2) alters Sections 82 and 122 of the constitution to
reduce the period within which the president or governor of a state
may authorise the withdrawal of monies from the Consolidated
Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriation Act from six months
to three months. The timeline for the presentation of Appropriation
Bill (No. 28) provides a timeframe within which the president or
governor should lay the Appropriation Bill before the
legislature.
Restriction of Tenure of President and Governor bill (No. 16)
restricts a person who was sworn in as president or governor to
complete the term of his predecessor, from contesting for the same
office more than once.
Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional
Alteration bill (No. 24) provides that in the event executive
assent is not granted in 30 days, the bill automatically becomes
law, and would eliminate the need for the legislature to activate
the process for a veto.
The National Assembly has resolved to transmit the
Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill and 11 other Constitution Alteration
bills which have satisfied the provisions of Section 9(2) of the
1999 constitution to President Muhammadu Buhari for
assent.
This followed the adoption of the bills by two-thirds of the 36
state Houses of Assembly as part of the fourth constitution
amendment exercise, which has 33 bills seeking to alter various
provisions of the constitution.
The Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill also known as the Reduction of Age
for Election bill, allows the age qualification for the offices of
the president and governor to be reduced from 40 to 35, and for
Senate, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly seats
to be reduced from 30 to 25 years.
Other alteration bills to be transmitted to the president are
Authorisation of Expenditure in Absence of Appropriation, Financial
Autonomy of State Legislatures, the Legislature, Political Parties
and Electoral Matters, the Nigerian Police Force, Restriction of
Tenure of President and Governor, and Submission from Judiciary
bills.
The list also includes alteration bills on Determination of
Pre-Election Matters, Consequential Amendment on Civil Defence,
Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional
Alteration and Time Line for the Presentation of Appropriation
Bills.
The Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, presented
the bills at plenary yesterday, and urged that they be transmitted,
while awaiting the resolution of some state assemblies on five
bills.
“While awaiting the resolution of some of the state Houses of
Assembly on some of the bills, the bills that have met the
requirements of the provisions of Section 9 of the constitution and
passed, be processed in line with the Authentication Act and
transmitted to the president for his assent to enable institutions
of government prepare for immediate implementation of policies and
programmes pursuant to the provisions,” Lawan said.
He said 35 state assemblies, excluding Lagos, have forwarded their
resolutions on the bills to the National Assembly.
The 33 alteration bills had been voted on by both legislative
chambers in July 2017, with the Senate approving 29, while the
House approved 21 bills. 17 of the bills had been approved by both
chambers without differences and transmitted to the state
assemblies, while four approved with amendments, were committed to
a conference committee.
The Authorisation of Expenditure in Absence of Appropriation
bill (No.2) alters Sections 82 and 122 of the constitution to
reduce the period within which the president or governor of a state
may authorise the withdrawal of monies from the Consolidated
Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriation Act from six months
to three months. The timeline for the presentation of Appropriation
Bill (No. 28) provides a timeframe within which the president or
governor should lay the Appropriation Bill before the
legislature.
Restriction of Tenure of President and Governor bill (No. 16)
restricts a person who was sworn in as president or governor to
complete the term of his predecessor, from contesting for the same
office more than once.
Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional
Alteration bill (No. 24) provides that in the event executive
assent is not granted in 30 days, the bill automatically becomes
law, and would eliminate the need for the legislature to activate
the process for a veto.