21st May, 2015
The House of Representatives on Wednesday introduced new clauses in its Standing Order XIII Rule 98 which sought to override the veto powers of the president on constitution amendment.
The resolution emanated from a motion moved by Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Albert Sam-Tsokwa (Taraba-PDP) and 22 other members and it was unanimously adopted.
The newly introduced Sub-Rules 10, 11, 12 and 13 initiated new procedures in altering the 1999 Constitution.
“Where the president withholds assent, the bill, if passed again by two-thirds majority of members of the house as required by Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution shall become law.”
Tsokwa said that in spite of the rules, the process of passage of a Constitution Alteration Bill shall continue from one session to the other.
According to him, the process of passage from one assembly to another will continue as if the tenure of each preceding session or assembly has not come to an end.
“The succeeding assembly may commence process of veto override under Section 58 of the constitution. That is when all requirements of Sub-rules (1) – (10) have been met.
“This is applicable if the president withholds his assent or fails to communicate why the assent was withheld probably at a close of an assembly,” he said.
It will be recalled that Supreme Court stopped the National Assembly from going ahead to pass the Fourth Alteration Bill which seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution.
This followed a suit filed by the Federal Government to stop the National Assembly from overriding President Goodluck Jonathan’s veto on amendments to the constitution.