Sokoto Assembly rejects Independent Candidacy

Sokoto State House of Assembly on Tuesday approved five alterations to the 1999 Constitution but rejected that for Independent Candidacy.

This was the outcome of the Assembly’s consideration of a report of its Ad-hoc Committee on the adoption of the alteration of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.

Earlier while presenting the report, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Garba Bello pointed out that the 23 local governments in the state supported alteration bill to abrogate the state joint local government accounts and empower each local government, to maintain its own special account.

He also called for the strengthening of local government administration in Nigeria and to change the name of Nigeria Police Force to ‘Nigeria Police’.

Bello added that majority of the local governments supported alteration to provide for the procedure for passing a Constitution alteration Bill.

According to him, the committee conducted town hall meetings in the three Senatorial zones of the state and that all relevant stakeholders were invited to give their input on the bills.

He therefore asserted, “The committee recommended that Assembly should accept the five alterations and reject the alteration to provide for independent candidature in election, based on the wishes of the citizens.”

Majority of the state legislators accepted the motion which was put to vote by Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Abubabar Magaji who presided over Tuesday’s plenary.