Constitution review: Why Presidential assent unnecessary - Saraki
The President of the Senate, Dr
Bukola Saraki, has said that presidential assent was an unnecessary addition to
the process of amendment of the Constitution.
He told the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that it was with conviction on that that the 8th
National Assembly approved the removal of presidential assent to an amended
constitution.
The 7th Assembly had in 2015,
while reviewing the 1999 Constitution, approved the removal of presidential
assent from the process of the amendment.
But, the then president, Dr
Goodluck Jonathan, refused assent to the amendment because of the removal of
the clause contained in Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
Jonathan had insisted that the
amendment would have been valid if supported by votes of not less than
four-fifth majority of all the members of each chamber of the National
Assembly.
In addition, he said that it also
ought to have been approved by a resolution of the House of Assembly of not
less than two-thirds of all the states as provided by Section 9 (3) of the 1999
Constitution.
However, Saraki said that going
by the process of amending the Constitution, the final decision of federal and
state legislatures should be seen as the decision of the people.
“Well, to me, if two-thirds of
the National Assembly agrees to something and two-thirds of the state
assemblies also agree, in my view, the President should accept that as the wish
of the people.
“Does he really need to assent?
Personally, I don’t think so; that is my personal view, because with two-third
of National Assembly, two-third of states’ assemblies, the people have spoken,”
he said.
Saraki added that the senate would
follow up on the amendment process in the states to ensure that there was wide
consultation and sensitisation.
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