Chidi Okereke
Today was an interesting day in the Nigerian Senate. They passed a couple major bills that may just change Nigeria, for good – for the most part. See all 33 of them, what some of them imply, and how the senators who were present when each bill was passed voted.
Bill 1: Members of the Council of States
Council of State is currently made up of the President and living Ex- Presidents. What the senate has now done is vote to change the constitution for the council of state to include Ex Senate President and Speakers.
Yes: 95
BILL 2: Authorization of Expenditure
Yes: 93
No: 1
Abstain: 1
BILL 3: Devolution of Power
48 members of the senate voted to reject devolution of power to states. The nays had it after Adamu Aliero argued it should not stand without reviewing the revenue sharing formula to give more money to states.
BILL 4: Financial Autonomy of State Legislature
Yes: 90
No: 5
Abstain: 0
BILL 5: Distributable account for LGs to have their own special account.
Yes: 84
No: 8
Abstain: 1
BILL 6: Democratic Existence funding and tenure of Local government council
This bill seeks to strengthen Local Government Administration in Nigeria. It is common knowledge that LGs are in the purse-strings of state governors. This bill will change that and assure the survival of Local Governments.
Yes: 88
No: 7
Abstain: 1
BILL 7: State creation and boundary adjustment
Yes: 47
No: 48
Abstain: 0
BILL 8: Immunity for Legislators for Acts in course of Duty
This bill bestows immunity on Legislators for words spoken or written during plenary or committee sitting. This bill does not bestow blanket immunity on members of the NASS – it is only for what they say or write in the red or green chambers. They can still be prosecuted for other things, unlike the immunity the President and Governors enjoys.
Yes: 93
No: 1
Abstain: 0
BILL 9: Political Parties and Electoral Matters. Time to conduct Bye elections and power to deregister parties.
Yes: 90
No: 0
Abstain: 0
BILL 10: Presidential Assent
Yes: 95
No: 1
Abstain: 0
BILL 11: Time frame for submission of Names of Ministerial nominees
This bill gives the President or Governor a time frame to submit names of ministers or commissioners for confirmation. At first it included affirmative action – where at least 35% of nominees for ministers and 20% for commissioners had to be women. But this part was later removed. SMH
Yes: 75
No: 19
Abstain: 0
BILL 12: Appointment of Minister from the FCT
Yes: 77
No: 12
Abstain: 3
BILL 13: Change of name of some LG councils: Ebonyi, Oyo, Ogun, Plateau and Rivers
Yes: 84
No: 2
Abstain: 2
BILL 14: Independent Candidacy
This long-awaited bill allows for people without parties to run for office. It got the necessary number of votes.
Yes: 82
No: 5
Abstain: 3
BILL 15: The Nigerian Police Force to become Nigerian Police.
Yes: 87
No: 2
Abstain: 1
BILL 16: Restriction of the tenure of President and Governor
This bill means one can be sworn in as Governor or President a maximum of 2 times. So even if you are sworn in to complete the term of a governor or president, it counts as your first term, no matter how short it lasts.
Yes: 88
No: 0
Abstain: 1
BILL 17: Separation of office of the Accountant- General
Yes: 89
No: 0
Abstain: 0
BILL 18: Office of Auditor General to be included in first line chat of consolidated revenue
Yes: 95
No: 0
Abstain: 0
BILL 19: Separation of office of the Attorney General from the Minister/ Commissioner of justice.
Yes: 95
No: 1
Abstain: 1
BILL 20: Submissions from the Judiciary
Yes: 95
No: 2
Abstain: 1
BILL 21: Determination of pre-election matters
Yes: 97
No: 0
Abstain: 0
BILL 22: Consequential Amendment on Civil Defence
Yes: 97
No: 0
Abstain: 0
BILL 23: Citizenship and Indigeneship
This seeks to amend citizenship. It now allows for a woman to choose where she comes from either by birth or marriage during appointments. This means a woman born in Anambra state can contest in Ondo state by virtue of her husband coming from there.
Yes: 49
No: 46
Abstain: 0
BILL 24: Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in constitutional Alteration
Yes: 87
No: 4
Abstain: 0
BILL 25: Removal of law making power from Executive Arm
This seeks to delete section 315 (4ai) and 315 (4aii) which gives a president or a governor law making powers in section 315 (2).
Yes: 89
No: 3
Abstain: 0
BILL 26: Investment and Securities Tribunal
Yes: 76
No: 14
Abstain: 5
BILL 27: Reduction of Age for Election
Popularly called the #NotTooYoungToRun bill, this seeks to reduce the age cap for people to run for government. A presidential candidate can be as young as 35, while governors and senators can be 30. It is a change from the initial 40 and 35 years limit respectively.
The bill also states that 25-year-old people, can be National and State legislators. But for it to take effect, it needs the endorsement of at least 24 State Assemblies and presidential assent.
Yes: 86
No: 10
Abstain: 1
BILL 28: Authorization of expenditure time frame for laying Appropriation bill, passage e.t.c
Yes: 94
No: 0
Abstain: 0
BILL 29: Deletion of NYSC decree from the CFRN
No, this bill does not mean the NYSC has been scrapped. It only seeks to remove it as a decree from the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Yes: 88
No: 3
Abstain: 0
BILL 30: Deletion of Public Complain Act from CFRN.
Yes: 90
No: 1
Abstain: 2
BILL 31: Deletion of National Security Agencies from the CFRN
Yes: 92
No: 2
Abstain: 0
BILL 32: Deletion of land use act from CFRN
This seeks to delete the land use act from the constitution, allowing the NASS to carry out amendments on it without the tedious process of a constitutional amendment.
BILL 33: Deletion of independent state electoral commissions from CFRN
Yes: 73
No: 19
Abstain: 2
