A bill seeking the conduct of general elections for the offices of the President, State Governors, National Assembly members, State Houses of Assembly members, and Local Government Area Councillors simultaneously on the same date, has passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
The proposed legislation sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere and 35 other lawmakers, was presented for second reading by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere.
The bill provides that, date of the general election will be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly.
When put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, it enjoyed the support of the House as majority of the lawmakers voted in its favour.
Similarly, the House passed for second reading, a bill seeking to make the Court of Appeal the final arbiter for hearing and determining governorship, National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions.
The bill sponsored by Nnamdi Ezechi, seeks to alter Section 246 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
If it scales through, governorship,
National and State Houses of Assembly election petitions which hitherto go as far as the Supreme Court, will all terminate at the Court of Appeal.
Also at plenary, a bill for an Act to alter the Constitution, to make the recommendation of the National Judicial Council mandatory for the removal of heads of Nigeria Courts from office, sponsored by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen and Marcus Onobun passed Second Reading.
In the same vein, Francis Waive’s bill seeking an alteration of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, to provide for the establishment of Ecclesiastical Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja and the Ecclesiastical Court of Appeal of the States also passed Second reading.
