Tag: House of Representatives

Reps. to raise candidates’ minimum education qualification for president, governors, lawmakers

Aminu Imam

…Bill passes second reading The House of Representatives yesterday passed through second reading, a Bill for an Act to alter the 1999 Constitution to change the educational qualification for election into certain political offices. If passed into law, the proposed legislation will make it compulsory for persons seeking election into the office of the President, Governor, National and State Houses of Assembly to acquire a university degree or its equivalent. The present educational qualification for elective positions enshrined in the 1999 Constitution is the School Certificate, which includes the West…

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Reps. consider Bill to scrap Civil Defence Corps

Aminu Imam

…NSCDC Boss withdraws all personnel attached to lawmaker who sponsored Bill A Bill seeking to scrap the National Security And Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been introduced in the House of Representatives. The Bill, sponsored by Shina Peller, representing lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State, was read the first time on Tuesday. It seeks to repeal the NSCDC Act of 2007 and transfer the personnel and assets of the agency to the Nigeria Police Force. According to the synopsis of the Bill, Peller is proposing to create a transition…

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Constitution Amendment: Reps Committee rejects immunity clause for Senate President, Reps. Speaker

Aminu Imam

…Yields to Buhari, rejects State Police The House of Representatives Committee on amendment of the 1999 Constitution has rejected a Bill seeking to grant immunity to presiding officers of the National Assembly and judicial officers. The Bill, titled: ‘An Act to alter Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to extend immunity to cover presiding officers of the legislative institutions”, was sponsored by Segun Odebunmi, from Oyo State. Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution states that no civil or criminal proceedings can be instituted against…

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Electoral Act (amendment) Bill: NASS passes harmonised Bill with direct, indirect, consensus modes of party primaries

Aminu Imam

The National Assembly has passed the harmonised version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. The harmonised version, passed by the lawmakers during yesterday’s plenary, is the final agreed version between the Senate and House of Representatives, on the amendment to Clause 84 of the Bill. It includes the direct, indirect, and consensus primary modes of nominating candidates by political parties for elections. The re-amendment was sequel to a motion on “rescission on clause 84 of the Electoral Act No. 26 2010 (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and Committal to the Committee of…

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‘Gbajabiamila introduced direct primary in Electoral Bill to favour someone’, Senator Na’Allah claims

Aminu Imam

The lawmaker representing Kebbi-South Senatorial District, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, has said that the direct primary clause, which led to the rejection of the Electoral Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari, was introduced into the Bill by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Na’allah, who claimed during an interview on television, explained that the Speaker’s idea of direct primary was to favour someone, whom he failed to name. He further noted that during the discussions at the committee level, the issue of direct primaries was never brought up. Na’allah also…

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Reps to investigate missing 178,000 Police arms

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the alleged missing 178,459 different arms and ammunition of the Nigeria Police Force in 2019. This followed the adoption of a ‘Motion on matters of urgent public importance’, by the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), at the plenary yesterday. An Auditor-General of the Federation, (AuGF)’s report had alleged that no fewer than 178,459 different arms and ammunition of the Nigeria Police Force have not been accounted for in 2019. Presenting the motion, Okechukwu said the audit of ‘Arms Movement Register,…

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Electoral Act Amendment: NASS re-amends Bill, rescinds decision on direct primaries, as Senate, Reps. differ on consensus option

Aminu Imam

The National Assembly has re-amended the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill yesterday, approving both direct and indirect primaries for political parties for elective positions. Both Chambers made the re-amendment in separate plenary sessions. In the Senate, the lawmakers also added the consensus clause for the nomination of candidates by political parties. In a statement, the upper chamber equally noted that “a political party that adopts the direct primaries procedure shall ensure that all aspirants are given equal opportunity of being voted for by members of the party”. In a statement, the…

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Reps. to amend parties’ mode of primaries in Electoral Bill on today – Gbajabiamila

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives is set to amend the provision of Direct Primaries in the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila disclosed this yesyetday, during his welcome remarks to members of the House after the Yuletide break. The Speaker said the version of the bill circulating is not the same as the version sent to President Muhammadu Buhari. He, however, assigned a committee to investigate this. According to him, the argument that political parties do not have a proper register of all their members…

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Electoral Bill: Reps. tackle AGF over alleged misleading advice

Aminu Imam

…Set to review direct party primaries clause after New Year break Some aggrieved members of the 9th Assembly accused Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN), of misleading President Muhammadu Buhari that led to his decision to withhold assent to the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill, 2021. Chairman, Adhoc Committee investigating Federal Government’s abandoned properties across the country, Hon. Ademorin Kuye, warned the AGF to desist from any action capable of destroying the existing cordial Executive-Legislative relationship. Hon. Kuye, who frowned at Malami’s forceful and bitter…

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House of Reps. give President Buhari nod to borrow $5.8bn

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives has approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s loan request of 5.8 billion dollars. The approval followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management yesterday, in Abuja. Presenting the report, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Ahmed Safana, said that the loan was part of the Federal Government’s 2018-2020 external borrowing plan. According to him, “The loan would be sourced from financial institutions like the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, China Exim bank, Chinese Africa Development Fund and International Fund…

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