Intrigues as Senators, Reps move to amend 1999 Constitution

INTRIGUES and horse-trading prevailed on activities of senators and members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, as the two chambers of the Assembly moved to vote on critical aspects of the 1999 Constitution.

The National Assembly moved closer to granting local government autonomy, following the inclusion of the issue for final voting today (Wednesday).

The two chambers, on Tuesday, deliberated on the general principles of the Fourth Constitution alteration bill, seeking to amend sections of the constitution.

But there was a sharp disagreement in the Senate as to the need to include some of the amendments slated for voting today.

Some northern senators were said to be pushing that critical aspects of the alteration bill, including the Land Use Act and local government autonomy, be deferred until the lawmakers held further consultations in their constituencies.

Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune confirmed that the Middle Belt had become the beautiful bride in both chambers, as the southern senators and lawmakers from the North were wooing them on key issues.

A senator who spoke in confidence said the progressive senators and House members were united with one voice, regardless of the zones of the country they came from.

It was confirmed that senators from the North-East and North-West were resolute on the need to defer issues, including Land Use Act and local government autonomy till a later period.

The set of senators were also being supported by the class of former governors in the Senate, who are seeking a defeat of local government autonomy bills.

“There is a massive horse-trading going on. We are holding strategic meetings at night (on Tuesday) to fine-tune the voting strategies. But as things are, the southern zones appear to favour all items in the amendment bill,” the senator said.

Item 32 on the list of constitution amendment issues released by the Senate seeks to delete the Land Use Act from the constitution, to provide for easier amendment by the National Assembly.

Some northern senators were also said to be opposed to local government autonomy and the affirmative action, seeking 35 per cent of ministerial allocations to women.

South-South senators also protested the non-inclusion of the issue of resource control in the amendment bll.

Senator Forster Ogala, who led the protest, said his constituents were unhappy that the issue did not come up on the agenda of the constitution amendment committee.

It was, however, gathered that some lawmakers who were against the planned amendments kicked off lobbying at the weekend.

Senators from the Middle-Belt were said to have disagreed with their northern counterparts on the issue of local government autonomy and affirmative action.

In his contributions on Tuesday, former governor of Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero, objected to the removal of the Land Use Act from the constitution, insisting that his constituents were satisfied with the way the law it was currently crafted.

He said the proposal to amend the section might not pass in the northern state houses of assembly.

“I am totally against removal of the Land Use Act from the constitution. We are happy the way it is in the constitution and there is no point for the Senate to waste its time on something that will not work, because it will be effort in futility. I am sure that even if we pass it in the National Assembly, the northern states houses of assembly can never pass it,” he said.

Senator Danjuma Goje, who served as a member of the constitution committee, also supported the position of Aliero, adding that the Land Use Act should be left in the constitution.

He also opposed the proposal to give states more responsibilities without financial back-up.

Goje was supported by Senator Gbenga Ashafa, who also said the Land Use Act was okay as it was in the Constitution.

Senator Goje’s position was promptly opposed by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who was miffed by the conduct of some senators who earlier signed the report of the constitution amendment committee but spoke differently on the Senate floor.

Senator Dino Melaye made a further suggestion to the amendment already adopted when he said the Senate should further amend the constitution to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct local government elections, adding that the current situation where the state electoral commissions conducted the exercise made nonsense of local government autonomy.

He was supported by Senator Shehu Sani who said to have credible elections at the local government, INEC must be given the responsibility.

“How do we speak of local government autonomy without addressing the foundation. States has to be stripped of the power to constitute state electoral commissions to conduct local government elections. The State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), which is constituted by the state government is practically a joke. The local government election has to be conducted by INEC in order to guarantee its credibility nationwide,” Melaye said.

The proposal was opposed by the group of former governors in the Senate.

The altercations informed several interventions by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, who had to calm frayed nerves on many occasions.

Saraki, while rounding off the deliberations, asked the senators to come to the chamber with their electronic voting cards today, adding that they would vote on all issues.

He also declared that the leadership of the National Assembly had not taken any position on any proposal.

Sources in the Assembly said senators from the different geopolitical zones were engaged in different caucus meetings on

Tuesday night to harmonise their positions against the expected voting today.