Nigerian Senate rejects 6-year single tenure

Senator David Mark.

Senator President, David Mark

The Senate on Tuesday voted against the proposed six-year single term for the President and Governors.

It also voted against direct allocation of funds to local governments and a mayoral status for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Senators voted to delete Section 29 (4) which provides that “any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.’’

David Mark, Senate President.
David Mark, Senate President.
The lawmakers voted against the separation of the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation from the Ministry of Justice.

The proposed removal of the Land Use Act, NYSC Act and the Public Complaints Commission from the constitution, were also rejected by the Senators.

Similarly, the Senate voted against the removal of the National Security Agencies Act and the word `Force’ from the Nigeria Police Force.

The Senate also rejected the transfer of Prisons from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, but approved the transfer of Labour, Pensions and the Railways to the Concurrent List.

The proposal for the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and other serving judicial officers as chairperson and members respectively of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) was rejected.

The Committee on the Review of the Constitution had recommended the appointment of a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria or retired President of the Court of Appeal as the chairman of the FJSC.

The senators, however, voted in favour of the direct payment of funds to State Houses of Assembly, State Judiciary and State Independent Electoral Commissions.

Earlier, Senators Ahmad Sani-Yerima (ANPP- Zamfara) and Danjuma Goje (PDP-Gombe) accused the Senate President, David Mark of double standards in the voting process.

Sani-Yerima said that Mark had allowed a second vote on two issues raised by the Deputy Senate President and the Senate Leader but refused to call for a second vote on an issue he raised.

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He had said that the voting to delete Section 29 (4b) was against Islamic laws.

According to him, the constitution states that the National Assembly shall not make laws that contradicted Islamic injunction.

Mark, however, said he took exception to the accusation, insisting that he had been consistent in the conduct of the voting process.

The Senate President described the process as `historic’ because senators stood up for what they believed in.

“Today is a historic day in the history of democracy in this country.

“We have voted in what we believe and we voted for those issues that we think will ensure that democracy continues to mature and take firm root in this country.

“I want to thank you because I believe that the committee worked very hard to get us to where we are now.

“Whatever emotions or sentiments people had to express, we put them in practical terms,’’ he said.

Mark said that a conference committee would be set up between the Senate and the House of Representatives to harmonise their positions before forwarding the amended constitution to State Assemblies.

The constitution amendment as passed by the Senate provides that the assent of the President is not required for it to become law.

By the voting on Tuesday, the Senate concluded its process of amending the 1999 Constitution and 101 out of the 109 Senators registered their presence in the chamber.

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