The House of Representatives on Wednesday amended 71 clauses of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, turning down a proposal that the recommendations of the recently concluded National Conference be subjected to a referendum, while approving that the call for the creation of more states should go through the process.

The House members also approved independent candidacy for electoral offices and life pension for former presiding officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly.

These decisions were taken when members of the House voted on the report of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of the Constitution yesterday.

Among alterations approved by the House was that which makes it mandatory for the president to address a joint meeting of the National Assembly once a year.

Out of the 261 lawmakers who participated in the constitution amendment voting process, 252 members voted aye for the amendments, 8 voted nay while one of them was undecided. A two-third vote, which is 240 of the 360-member House, is required to amend the constitution before it will be forwarded to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for concurrence.

The 71 clauses amended by the House centered on: legislative immunity, local government autonomy, state creation, indigeneship and citizenship, independent candidacy in elections, budgetary process, life pension for National Assembly heads, role for traditional rulers, among others.