TheCable

The national assembly has concluded voting on amendments to the 1999 constitution.

While members of the house of representatives voted on Thursday, their colleagues in the senate had their own session on Wednesday.

Thirty-three bills were considered in all. But for exceptional cases, 73 votes were required for an amendment to pass in senate, while the house required 240. The lawmakers agreed on some bills and disagreed on others.

We bring you the areas where the two legislative chambers disagreed.

35 PERCENT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR WOMEN

The house approved 35 percent affirmative action for women but the senate did not approve same. At the senate, 49 lawmakers voted yes to it, while 43 voted no.

At the house, 248 lawmakers voted yes to it, while 46 voted no.

DELETION OF STATE INEC FROM CONSTITUTION

The proposed deletion of the state Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the constitution failed at the house but it was passed at the senate.

At the senate, 73 lawmakers voted yes to it, while 19 voted no. At the house, 229 lawmakers voted yes to it, while 51 voted no.

DELETION OF NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES FROM CONSTITUTION

The deletion of national security agencies from the constitution failed at the lower legislative chamber but was passed at the senate. At the senate, 92 lawmakers voted yes to it, while two voted no.

DELETION OF PUBLIC COMPLAIN ACT FROM CONSTITUTION

The lower legislative chamber also rejected the proposed deletion of public complain act from the constitution while the senate approved of it.

At the senate, 90 lawmakers voted yes to it, while one voted no.

DELETION OF NYSC DECREE FROM CONSTITUTION

The legislators in the lower chamber rejected the deletion of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) decree from the constitution but the upper legislative chamber approved of it.

At the senate, 88 lawmakers voted yes to it, while 33 voted no.

SEPARATION OF OFFICE OF AGF FROM MINISTER OF JUSTICE

The senate approved the separation of office of the attorney-general of the federation/state from the office of minister/commissioner of justice but the same amendment failed at the house.

At the senate, 95 lawmakers voted yes to it, while one voted no.

At the house, 234 lawmakers voted yes to it, while 58 voted no.

CHANGE OF NAMES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

While the change of names of local government councils i.e Ebonyi, Oyo, Ogun, Plateau and Rivers, passed at the senate, same failed at the house.

At the senate, 84 lawmakers voted in favour of it, while two voted no.

At the house, 220 lawmakers voted in favour of it, 57 voted no.

APPOINTMENT OF AN FCT MINISTER

The lawmakers in the lower legislative chamber rejected that a minister be appointed from the FCT but same was approved at the senate.

At the senate, 77 lawmakers voted yes to it, while 12 voted no.

At the house, 191 voted yes to it, 21 voted no.

Constitution amendments only become operative after they have been passed by at least 24 state houses of assembly and two-thirds of the national assembly.