Dogara passes bill for second reading despite majority ‘nay’ vote

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday, allowed a bill to pass second reading in the chamber despite a majority ‘nay’ voice vote‎ from lawmakers.

The “bill for an Act to‎ establish the Chartered Institute of Mediators and Conciliators of Nigeria” is being considered for concurrence in the Lower Chamber after passage in the Senate.

After extensive debates, the Speaker had asked for a voice vote on the motion for a second reading of the bill‎, to which majority of the lawmakers answered in the negative.

“Those in favour of the motion to read the bill for a second time, say aye, those against, say nay. The ayes have it,” Do‎gara said as he struck the gavel to pass the bill for a second reading despite majority ‘nay’ votes.

Immediate‎ly after that, however, voices from the lawmakers chorused “nay, nay, nay,” to no avail.

According to the sponsors, the bill seeks to “determine standards of knowledge and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become registered members of the mediation and conciliation profession in Nigeria.”