Full list of constitution amendments by senate
Full list of constitution amendments by senate
Senators have cast their votes to amend sections in the fourth amendment of
the 1999 Constitution.
The lawmakers made 32 new amendments to the country’s constitution. See the
full list below:
1. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 1, 2017 (Composition of Members of the Council of State)
– This bill seeks to amend the Third Schedule to include former Presidents of
the Senate and Speakers of the House of Representatives in the composition of
the Council of State.
2. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 2, 2017 (Authorisation of Expenditure) – seeks to alter
sections 82 and 122 of the Constitution to reduce the period within which the
President or Governor of a state may authorise the withdrawal of monies from
the consolidated revenue fund in the absence of an appropriation act from 6
months to 3 month.
3. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 3, 2017 (Devolution of Powers) – This seeks to alter the
Second Schedule, Part I & II to move certain items to the Concurrent Legislative List
to give more legislative powers to States. It also delineates the extent to
which the federal legislature and state assemblies can legislate on the items
that have been moved to the Concurrent Legislative List.
4. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 4, 2017 (Financial Autonomy of State Legislatures) – This
alteration seeks to provide for the funding of the Houses of Assembly of
States directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.
5. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 5, 2017 (Distributable Pool Account) – This Bill seeks to
alter section 162 of the Constitution to abrogate the State Joint Local
Government Accounts and empower each Local Government Council to maintain its
own special account into which all allocations due to the Local Government Council
shall be directly paid from the Federation Account and from the Government of
the State and also make provisions for savings in the Federation Account before
distribution to other levels of Government.
6. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 6, 2017 (Local Government) – The alterations here
are aimed at strengthening local government administration in Nigeria by
guaranteeing the democratic existence, funding, and tenure of local government
councils.
7. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 7, 2017 (State Creation and boundary Adjustment) – This
essentially seeks to alter section 8 of the Constitution to ensure that only
democratically elected local government councils participate in the process of
State creation and boundary adjustment. It also removed ambiguities in the
extant provisions to enhance clarity with respect to the procedure for state
creation.
8. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 8, 2017 (The Legislature) – This alteration seeks among
other things to alter sections 4, 51, 67, 68, 93 and 109 of the Constitution to
provide immunity for members of the legislature in respect of words spoken or
written at plenary sessions or at Committee proceedings; institutionalize
legislative bureaucracy in the Constitution like the Civil Service Commission in
the executive and the Judicial Service Commission in the judiciary; and,
obligate the President to attend a joint meeting of the
National Assembly once a year to deliver a state of the nation
address.
9. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 9, 2017 (Political Parties and Electoral Matters) – This
seeks to alter section 134 & 179 to provide sufficient time for INEC to
conduct bye-elections; and section 225 to empower the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-register political parties for
non-fulfillment of certain conditions such as breach of registration requirements and
failure to secure/win either a Presidential, Governorship, Local Government
chairmanship or a seat in the National or State Assembly or a
Councillorship.
10. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 10, 2017 (Presidential Assent) – This seeks to alter
sections 58, 59 and 100 to resolve the impasse where the President or Governor
neglects to signify his/her assent to a bill from the
National Assembly or withhold such assent. This is to enable timely
passage of laws for good governance.
11. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 11, 2017 (Timeframe for submitting the Names Ministerial
or Commissioners Nominees) – This Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to set a timeframe within which the President
or a Governor shall forward to the Senate or State House
of Assembly names of nominees for confirmation as Ministers or
Commissioners; provide for attachment of portfolio and thirty-five percent affirmative action for
women.
12. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 12, 2017 (Appointment of Minister from the FCT) – The
Bill seeks to alter section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the appointment of a Minister from the FCT, Abuja
to ensure that the FCT is represented in the Executive Council of the
Federation.
13. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 13, 2017 (Change of Names of some Local Government
Councils) – This Bill seeks to alter the Constitution to provide for a change
in the names of some Local Government Councils and the definition of the
boundary of the FCT, Abuja.
14. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 14, 2017 (Independent Candidature) – This seeks to alter sections 65, 106,
131, and 177 of the Constitution. This is aimed at expanding the political
space and broadening the options for the electorate by allowing for independent
candidacy in all elections.
15. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 15, 2017 (The Police) – This Bill seeks to alter the
Constitution in sections 34, 35, 39, 214, 215, 216 and the Third Schedule to change the name of
the Police from “Nigeria Police Force” to “Nigeria Police” in order to reflect
their core mandate.
16. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 16, 2017 (Restriction of Tenure of the President and
Governor) – This Bill seeks to restrict a person who was sworn-in as President
or Governor to complete the term of the elected President from contesting for
the same office for more than one term.
17. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 17, 2017 (Separation of the Office of Accountant-General)
– This Bill seeks to alter section 84 of the Constitution to establish the
office of the Accountant-General of the Federal Government separate from the
office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
18. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 18, 2017 (Office of the Auditor-General) – This Bill
seeks to make the office of the Auditor-General for the Federation and for the
State financially independent by placing them on first-line charges in the
Consolidated Revenue funds of the Federation and of the States.
19. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 19, 2017 (Separation of the office of the
Attorney-General of the Federation and of the State from the office of the
Minister or Commissioner for Justice) – This Bill seeks to alter sections 150,
174, 195, 211, 318 and the Third Schedule to the Constitution to separate the
office of the Minister or Commissioner for Justice from that of the
Attorney-General of the Federation and of states so as to create an independent
office of the Attorney-General of the Federation insulated from partisanship.
It also seeks to redefine the role of the Attorney-General, provide a fixed
tenure, provide the age and qualification for appointment and also for a more
stringent process for the removal of the Attorney General.
20. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 20, 2017 (Judiciary) – This bill contains a vast array of
alterations with regards to the Judiciary such as the composition of the
National Judicial Council, and empowering Justices of the Supreme Court and
Court of Appeal to hear certain applications in chambers thereby enhancing the
speedy dispensation of justice.
21. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 21, 2017 (Determination of Pre-Election Matters) – This
Bill seeks to among other things make provisions for timelines for the
determination of pre-election disputes.
22. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 22, 2017 (Civil Defence) – This Bill seeks to reflect the
establishment and core functions of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence
Corps. It is a consequential amendment because of the inclusion of the national
security and civil defence as an item in the Exclusive Legislative List under
the Second Schedule to the Constitution.
23. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 23, 2017 (Citizenship and Indigeneship) – This Bills
seeks to alter section 25 of the Constitution to guarantee a married woman’s
right to choosing either her indigeneship by birth or by marriage for the
purposes of appointment or election.
24. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 24, 2017 (Procedure for overriding Presidential veto in
Constitutional Alteration) – This Bill seeks to among other things provide the
procedure for passing a Constitution Alteration Bill where the President
withholds assent.
25. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 25, 2017 (Removal of certain Acts from the Constitution)
– This Bill seeks to alter section 315 of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to remove the law-making powers of the Executive Arm of
Government and delete the National Youth Service Corps Decree, the Public
Complaints Commission Act, the National Security Agencies Act and the Land Use
Act from the Constitution, so that they can be subject to regular process of
amendment.
26. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 26, 2017 (Investments and Securities Tribunal) – This
bill seeks to establish the Investments and Securities Tribunal under the
Constitution.
27. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 27, 2017 (Reduction of Age Qualification) – This Bill
seeks to alter the Sections 65, 106, 131, 177 of the Constitution to reduce the
age qualification for the offices of the President and Governor and membership
of the Senate, House of Representatives, and the State Houses of Assembly.
28. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 28, 2017 (Authorisation of Expenditure 1) – This Bill seeks
to provide for the time within which the President or Governor shall lay the
Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly or House of Assembly to
encourage the early presentation and passage of Appropriation Bills.
29. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 29, 2017 (Deletion of the NYSC Decree from the
Constitution) – The Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the National Youth Service Corps Decree
from the Constitution so that it can be subject to the regular process of
amendment.
30. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 30, 2017 (Deletion of the Public Complaints Commission
Act from the Constitution) – The Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the Public Complaints Commission
Act from the Constitution so that it can be subject to the regular process of
amendment.
31. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 31, 2017 (Deletion of the National Securities Act from
the Constitution) – The Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the National Securities Act from the
Constitution so that it can be subject to the regular process of amendment.
32. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth
Alteration) Bill, No. 32, 2017 (Deletion of the Land Use Act from the
Constitution) – The Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the Land Use Act from the Constitution so
that it can be subject to the regular process of amendment.