Senators have overwhelmingly voted in support of the Local Government Financial Autonomy Bill as well as financial autonomy for State Houses of Assembly and judiciary.
The approval came on Tuesday during voting on the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022.
Voting on all 68 proposed amendments to the Constitution is underway at the time of filing this report.
The lawmakers are voting electronically.
About 73 senators voted in the process for about 68 proposed amendments to the Nigerian constitution.
Senators during voting rejected proposal of pension for presiding officers of the legislature.
Out of a total number of 88 Senators registered to vote on the bill, 34 voted in support, and 53 were against the bill.
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Also rejected were bills to override Presidential veto in Constitution Alteration and to override Presidential veto in respect of ordinary money bills.
The rejected bills require the mandatory four-fifth (votes of 88 Senators) and a two-thirds majority (votes of 73 Senators) to pass, respectively.
The bill on Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional Alteration seeks to provide for the procedure for passing a constitution alteration bill where the President withholds assent.
On the other hand, the bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution to provide the procedure for overriding executive veto in respect of money bills seeks to provide for the mode of exercising federal legislative power on money bills before the National Assembly.
While 94 Senators registered to vote on the bill to override a presidential veto in constitutional alteration, 79 lawmakers of the chamber voted in support and 15 against it. The bill fell short of the needed 88 votes (four-fifth requirement) to pass.
On the bill to override a presidential veto in respect of money bills, out of a total of 84 registered Senators, 44 voted in support, and 39 against the bill. The bill also fell short of the required two-thirds requirement (73 Senators) to pass.
In addition, the Senate also rejected bills to provide for the Removal of Presiding Officers of the Legislature; and to Change the name of Barikin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State to “Gwol” Local Government Area.
