.Rejects 35% Affirmative Action for Female Politicians.

.Presence of VP’s Wife Fail to Swing Votes

.Passes Local Gov’t Financial Autonomy Bill

By Jude Opara and Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

Both chambers of the National Assembly yesterday, dealt a deathly blow to the move to slant the playing field in favour of Nigerian women in politics.

The lawmakers turned down two bills that sought to give more empowerment and leverage to Nigerian women in the political space.

One of the bills sought for the creation of one special seat for a woman at the Senate, House of Representatives and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The lawmakers outrightly rejected the bill.

“The bill seeks to create a special seat for women in the Senate, House of Representatives and the State Houses of Assembly and the Federal Capital Territory reserved solely for women without prejudice to their eligibility to contest in the existing Senatorial seats in each State and FCT.”

Similarly, the proposed 35% affirmative action for women in political party administration was also rejected by both chambers.

Meanwhile, wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo and her entourage were in the Chamber as observers of Tuesday’s legislative proceedings and saw how the Senators rejected the two bills that concerned the female gender.

However, both chambers easily passed the Local Government Financial Autonomy Bill.
The Bill seeks alteration of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), to grant financial autonomy to the 776 local government areas in the country.
On Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led a protest to demand autonomy for the local government and the judiciary.
The leadership of the NLC demanded overwhelming votes from the federal lawmakers, ahead of the clause-by-clause voting on the ongoing constitution amendment process.
NLC President, Mr. Ayubba Wabba demanded that the lawmakers vote in favour of autonomy for the local government and the judiciary.
The labour leaders insisted that the lack of autonomy for the judicial arm of government, as well as the local government as the third tier of government, run contrary to democratic principles.

In passing the Local Government Autonomy Bill granting full autonomy to the local government and council areas in Nigeria, 92 members of the red chambers voted overwhelmingly in support of the Bill, after a clause-by-clause consideration at the Committee on the Whole.

Furthermore, both chambers approved financial autonomy for State Legislatures, Judiciary and Local Governments in the country.

The approval came during voting on the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022.

However, the senators rejected the proposal for the payment of  pension for presiding officers of the legislature.

During the voting, a total number of 88 Senators registered to vote on the bill of which 34 voted in support while 53 others were against its passage.

Also rejected were bills to override Presidential Veto in Constitution Alteration and to override Presidential veto in respect of ordinary money bills.

The rejected bills required the mandatory four-fifth votes of (88 Senators) and a two-thirds majority (votes of 73 Senators) respectively to pass.

In a related development, the bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution to provide the procedure for overriding executive veto in respect of money bills seeks to provide for the mode of exercising federal legislative power on money bills before the National Assembly.

A total of 94 Senators registered to vote on the bill to override a presidential veto in constitutional alteration, of which 79 lawmakers voted in support while15 voted against it. The bill could not muster the needed 88 votes (four-fifth requirement) to pass.

Also, the upper legislative arm rejected bills seeking to provide for the Removal of Presiding Officers of the Legislature; and to equally change the name of Barikin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State to “Gwol” Local Government Area.

The House, which considered 68 reports all together, rejected about 15 of the bills, as the over 304 members present at the sitting, voted clause by clause electronically.

Amongst the bills that failed to pass at the committee of the whole, presided by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside his Deputy, Idris Wase,was clause 6, the Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Change the name Barikin Ladi Local Government Area; and for Related Matters.

Clause 35, a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Special Seat for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters Clause 36, a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Expand the Scope of Citizenship by Registration; and for Related Matters 

Clause 34, a Bill for an Act to Alter Part I of the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to include Value Added Tax on the Exclusive Legislative List; and for Related Matters and approve the Clause 37, a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Affirmative Action for Women in Political Party Administration; and for Related Matters Clause 42, on a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Expand Immunity to the Legislative and Judicial Arms of Government; and for Related Matters Clause 50, on a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Replace the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation with the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government; 
and for Related Matters.

Clause 59, on a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Diaspora Voting; and for Related Matters.

Clause 64, on a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to further define Acts that Constitute Torture, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment; and for Related Matters.

Clause 12, on a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to 

Institutionalize Legislative Bureaucracy in the Constitution; and for Related Matters .

Clause 13, on a Bill for an Act Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Procedure for passing a Constitution Alteration Bill where the President withhold Assent; and for Related Matters.

Clause 16, on a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide Pension for Presiding Officers of the National Assembly; and for Related Matters, amongst others.

The implication of the bills that failed is that they would not meet the list that would be transmitted to states houses of Assembly for approval, even if they were passed in the Senate, as there is no more room for harmonization between the two Chambers.

The House however passed critical bills giving financial autonomy to States judiciary and legislators as well as abolished the states and Local Government joint account.

Bill for independent candidates at elections, bill separating office of Attorney General from minister of Justice, as well as bill to make judges of industrial court part of election tribunal amongst others were passed.

The House also passed bills placing the Correctional Service on concurrent lists, Airport administration as well as electricity amongst others.