Nigerian Govt Sues Senate House Over Constitution Amendments

The Federal Government has instituted a suit at the Supreme Court to nullify the proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution. President Goodluck Jonathan had withheld his assent to the amendments to some sections of the document sent to him by the National Assembly.

In a seven-page letter to the Senate President, David Mark, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, the president queried the decision of the National Assembly to whittle down some executive powers of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He faulted some amendments which gives executive powers and duties to the legislature and the judiciary.

Mr. Jonathan explained his position on the amendment and why he declined to sign the document into law. “In view of the foregoing and absence of credible evidence that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Fourth Alteration) Act 2015 satisfied the strict requirements of Section 9(3) of the 1999 Constitution, it will be unconstitutional for me to assent to it,” the president said.

“I therefore withhold my assent and accordingly remit Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Fourth Alteration) Act 2015 to the Senate /House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

However, the National Assembly said after 30 days, it would override the veto of the president.

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Senators Plot to Impeach Mark

The Senate may witness a change of leadership if the threat by aggrieved senators from the two main political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, to impeach Senate President David Mark for not protecting them in the just concluded party primaries is carried out.

If successful, the plot may see the APC producing the Senate President in addition to the House of Representatives speakership. This is coming as 168 members of the House of Representatives have endorsed the plan to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan.

Some of the vocal and prominent PDP senators, who had defended the party with every available means whenever the opposition APC senators raised eye-brow over some of President Jonathan’s policies were surprised that both the Senate leadership and the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party could not reciprocate the gesture. Instead the senators were left at the mercy of state governors.

Consequently, the aggrieved senators in both the PDP and APC, who lost return tickets at the various party primaries have decided to move against the Senate leadership for not protecting them during the primaries.

Credit: Vanguard Nigeria