National Assembly votes against life pensions for presiding officers

Both chambers of the National Assembly voted against the clause, which reads: “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide Pension for Presiding Officers of the National Assembly; and for Related Matters and approve the recommendations therein.

At the upper chamber, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan said, “This bill has conclusively failed.”

The Red Chamber also voted against a proposed amendment to alter the procedure for passing a Constitution Alteration Bill where the President withhold Assent.

The current provision reads: ” An Act of the National Assembly for the alteration of this Constitution, not being an Act to which section 8 of this Constitution applies, shall not be passed in either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of all the members of that House and approved by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the States.”

The proposed amendment states: “Where the President withholds his assent and the bill is again voted upon by each House of the National Assembly by a four-fifths majority, the bill shall become law.”