As part of the constitution review, the National Assembly will vote on a bill seeking to empower it to compel the President to appear before it to answer questions on security and other matters, The Nation reports.
The clause is also seeking to empower the House of Assembly to summon the governor.
The senators and House of Assembly members will vote on the amendment from Tuesday. There are 67 bills for consideration in the Senate and 68 in the House.
The report of the joint committee was laid before lawmakers in the two chambers on Wednesday.
The constitution review proposal set tough conditions for independent candidates and the registration of political parties.
Bill 48 is on the power to summon the president and governors “to answer questions on issues on which the National and State Houses of Assembly have powers to make laws; and for related matters.”
Clause 2 of the Bill which is an alteration of Section 67 of the constitution states: “Section 67 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting after subsection (3), a new subsection ‘(4)’.”
The new sub-section reads: “Nothing in this section shall preclude the National Assembly from summoning the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend a joint session of the National Assembly to answer questions on national security or any issue whatsoever, over which the National Assembly has powers to make laws.”
Clause 3 of the Bill, which alters Section 108 of the Constitution, reads: “Section 108 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting after subsection (3), a new subsection ‘(4)’.”
It reads: “(4) Nothing in this section shall preclude the House of Assembly of the State from summoning the Governor of the State to attend a sitting of the House of Assembly to answer questions on security or on any issue whatsoever, over which the House of Assembly has powers to make laws.”
Bill number 58, which is on independent candidacy, sets tough conditions to be met for anybody who wishes to contest an election as an independent candidate in Nigeria.
The Bill, in Clause 2, alters Section 7 of the Constitution.
Independent candidates are expected to get the signatures of 20 per cent of registered voters who are eligible to elect them.
For instance, an independent governorship aspirant is expected to get the signature of 20 per cent of registered voters in the state.
A senatorial or House of Representatives aspirant is expected to get 20 per cent of the signatures of registered voters in the senatorial district or constituency, as the case may be.
The same rule is applicable at the state and local government levels for state lawmakers, chairmen and councillors.
The Bill reads in part: “Section 7 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting after subsection (4), a new subsection ‘(4A)’.
“(4A)In the case of an independent candidate, the person has obtained the verified signatures of at least 20 per cent of registered voters from each of all the electoral wards in the respective local government area, for a chairmanship candidate, and signatures of at least twenty per cent of registered voters from each of all the polling units in the respective electoral wards for a councilor:
“Provided that – (a) a registered voter shall not sign for more than one independent candidate in respect of the same office; and (b) the signatures shall be verified by the relevant electoral body.”
Clause 3 of the Bill also alters Section 65 of the Constitution and provides that an independent candidate for National Assembly has to obtain “the verified signatures of at least 20 per cent of registered voters from each of the local government areas in the respective Senatorial District or Federal Constituency, as the case may be.”
Bill 57 is on “Restriction on Formation of Political Parties” and is entitled: “A Bill for an Act to alter the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to enhance existing provisions on the formation of political parties; and for related matters.”
In Clause 2, the Bill seeks to alter Section 222 of the Constitution and provides that a political party must have verifiable, equipped and staffed offices in at least two-thirds of all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
It added that for any association to be qualified to be registered as a political party, it must have at least three per cent of registered voters who are its members and who are not members of any other association or political party in at least two-thirds of the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Bill reads: “Section 222 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting after paragraph (f), new paragraphs “(g) % (j)” % “(g) it has verifiable, equipped and staffed offices in at least two-thirds of all the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, as may be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission; (h) the names and addresses of national officers and members of the association shall be registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission; (i) the list of such members shall be accompanied with sworn affidavit of non-membership of an existing political party”; and (j) the association shall have at least three per cent of registered voters who are its members and who are not members of any other association or political party in at least two-thirds of the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory”.
Clause 3 of the Bill, which seeks to alter Section 223 of the Constitution, provides that members of the National Executive Committee or other governing body of the political party shall reflect the federal character of Nigeria.
The members of NEC shall also have the same qualifications as candidates for election to the House of Representatives.
It reads: “Section 223 (1) of the Principal Act is altered by substituting for paragraph (b), a new paragraph “(b)” %
“(b) ensure that members of the – (i) National Executive Committee or other governing body of the political party reflect the federal character of Nigeria and have the same qualifications as candidates for election to the House of Representatives;
“(ii) State Executive Committee of the political party shall have representation from different local government areas not being less than two-thirds of all the local government areas of the State, and (iii) executive committee of the political party in the Federal Capital Territory shall have representation from different area councils not being less than two-thirds of all the area councils of the Federal Capital Territory.”
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