The National Assembly on May 16 directed its Clerk to transmit two Constitution Alteration bills to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent. This followed the bills receiving approval from the constitutionally required number of State Houses of Assembly. The first bill is Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 46, 2022, which seeks to include the Presiding Officers of the National Assembly as members of the National Security Council. The second is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 58, 2022, to allow for independent candidates in elections. There have been calls for the establishment of independent candidacy to provide an alternative for political aspirants who choose not to run on the platform of a political party.
The bills were among 46 Constitution Alteration bills passed by the National Assembly in March 2022 and sent to the States for their votes. In January 2023, 35 bills which received approval of at least 24 States, were transmitted to President Buhari, who assented to 16 of those bills in March. Additional bills that have been approved at the State level since then have been transmitted to him, including Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 47, 2023 for the establishment of State Security Council, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 20, 2022 for uniform retirement age and pension rights for judicial officers and now the bill for inclusion of National Assembly Presiding Officers in the National Security Council and a bill to allow for independent candidacy.
The end of President Buhari’s tenure is less than a week away. If these bills are not signed into law, then they have to be presented afresh before the 10th National Assembly.