Buhari Signs 16 Constitution Amendment Bills Into Law: Here’s The Full List

Summary:

• President Muhammadu Buhari has signed 16 Constitution Amendment Bills into law, following the separate voting of 68 proposed items by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
• These amendments address various issues within Nigeria’s governance, legal, and social systems, including financial independence for State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary, allowing states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity, and ensuring the right to food and food security in Nigeria.
• The process saw representation from 27 Houses of Assembly, while nine states did not participate.

ABUJA, Nigeria – President Muhammadu Buhari has signed 16 Constitution Amendment Bills into law on March 1, 2023, after the Senate and the House of Representatives voted separately for 68 proposed items earlier this year. The National Assembly had transmitted 35 constitution amendment bills to the president for assent in January.

The amendment process saw representation from 27 Houses of Assembly, while nine states – Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara – did not participate. The newly signed bills encompass various alterations, ranging from changes to local government area names to addressing food security in Nigeria.

Below is the full list of 16 bills President Buhari assented to:

1. Fifth Alteration (No. 1): Changing the names of Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas.
2. Fifth Alteration (No. 2): Changing the name of Kunchi Local Government Area.
3. Fifth Alteration (No. 3): Changing the names of Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government Areas.
4. Fifth Alteration (No. 4): Correcting the name of Atigbo Local Government Area.
5. Fifth Alteration (No. 5): Correcting the name of Obia/Akpor Local Government Area.
6. Fifth Alteration (No. 6): Providing financial independence for State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary.
7. Fifth Alteration (No. 7): Regulating the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly.
8. Fifth Alteration (No. 9): Deleting references to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code, or Evidence Act.
9. Fifth Alteration (No. 10): Excluding intervening events’ period in the computation of time for determining pre-election petitions, election petitions, and appeals.
10. Fifth Alteration (No. 12): Providing post-call qualification for the Secretary of the National Judicial Council.
11. Fifth Alteration (No. 15): Deleting “prisons” from the Exclusive Legislative List and redesignating it as “Correctional Services” in the Concurrent Legislative List.
12. Fifth Alteration (No. 16): Moving “railways” from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List.
13. Fifth Alteration (No. 17): Allowing states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid.
14. Fifth Alteration (No. 23): Requiring the President and Governors to submit the names of nominated Ministers or Commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.
15. Fifth Alteration (No. 32): Correcting the error in the definition of the boundary of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
16. Fifth Alteration (No. 34): Requiring the Government to direct its policy towards ensuring the right to food and food security in Nigeria.

These amendments aim to address various issues within Nigeria’s governance, legal, and social systems, promoting further development and progress in the country.