Senate approves financial autonomy for local councils, state legislature and judiciary

The Senate on Tuesday, March 1, approved financial autonomy for local government councils in the country.

This followed voting on the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022 on Tuesday’s plenary.

Ninety-two senators voted in favour of the amendment, while two voted against it.

The upper chamber also approved financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary, as 83 senators voted in its favour, while one senator voted against it.

Also, the lawmakers voted against life pension for presiding officers of the legislature, as 53 senators voted against the provision, while 34 voted in support.

The senators also rejected two bills aimed at overriding Presidential veto in Constitution alteration; 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) to pass, respectively.

The bill on Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional Alteration sough to provide for the procedure for passing a constitution alteration bill where the President withholds assent.

On the other hand, 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 sought to provide for the mode of exercising federal legislative power on money bills before the National Assembly.

While 94 senators registered to vote on the bill to override a presidential veto in constitutional alteration, 79 lawmakers of the upper chamber voted in support while 15 voted against it.

The bill fell short of the needed 88 votes (four-fifth requirement) to pass at the Senate.

On the bill to override a presidential veto in respect of money bills, out of a total of 84 registered Senators, 44 voted in support, while 39 senators voted against the bill. The bill also fell short of the required two-thirds requirement (73 Senators) to pass.

In addition, the senate also rejected bills to provide for the Removal of Presiding Officers of the Legislature; and to Change the name of Barikin Ladi Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau to “Gwol” LGA.