Act                          

A bill passed by the legislature.

Action                                  

Any step of legislative procedure relating to a proposed law.

Ad Hoc Committees

Committees appointed for special purposes which are dissolved upon completion of assignment.

 Adjourn

Discontinuation of legislative proceedings, often to prevent further consideration of an issue.

 Adjournment

Termination of legislative activities at the conclusion of each legislative day with indication of the next day’s meeting time.  Also refers to termination of legislative activities at the ending of the (first) regular session of a Legislature.

 Adoption

Indicates approval or acceptance and can refer to amendments or entire legislative measures.

 Amendment

Any modification, deletion, or addition, which alters form or substance of legislation. A change proposed to a motion, a bill, a written question or a committee report with the intention of improving it or providing an alternative. “Amendment” does not include replacing the entire constitution.

 Appropriation

A legislative authorisation to make expenditures and incur obligations.

 Bicameral

A two-house legislature.

Bill

A proposed law that the National Assembly or a State Assembly is asked to consider. 

Budget

Estimates of proposed expenditures and expected revenues for a fiscal year.  

By-law

Rule made by a local body or council under authority of a statue.

 By-election

Held to fill vacancies in the legislature which arise before the end of the legislative term.

 Caucus

A group of party members often formed within the legislature to develop strategies for promoting party ideology.

 Chair

The presiding officer at a meeting of the National Assembly or a Committee.

 Clerk

An officer of the House or Senate who is responsible for its operation and other legislative staff.

 Committee

A body of legislators of a chamber – Senate or House of Representatives –  appointed for a special or general purpose or to perform specific tasks. The chamber may delegate any functions exercisable by it to its committees but they do not have final decision making authority and can only make recommendations to the chamber on any matter referred to it.

 Concurrence

Agreement. Means that one House “accepts” the actions of the other House.

 Concurrent

At the same time as.

 Concurrent power/legislative list

Powers that are shared by federal and state governments under the constitution. The concurrent legislative list in the 2^nd schedule to the 1999 Constitution defines areas in which both the National and State Assemblies can legislate. Where laws in an area of concurrency conflict, the federal law supersedes.

 Conference Committee

A committee of members of the House and Senate that confers on differences in a bill, which have passed both Houses.

 Confirmation

Senate action with respect to executive appointments requiring advice and consent.

 Consolidated Revenue Fund

Federal Government purse/account into which its income and revenues are paid and from which public expenditure is met; exclusively owned and managed by the Federal Government. The National Budget is funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation while State budgets are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.

 Consolidation (of bills)

Different bills on the same subject merged together.

 Consensus

A general agreement about something or on an issue. Does not have to be unanimous.

 Consideration

To discuss or review a bill either by legislators or a committee with the view to reaching a decision.

 Constituency

A geographically defined area or unit in which voters elect one or more representatives to the legislature. Also called electoral district.

 Constituent assembly

An entity or body created and elected by the people to prepare a constitution. This may or may not be the legislature but should have constituent power i.e. the legal power and the people’s authority to create a constitution. The form of such assemblies varies widely across jurisdictions and members may be elected by popular vote or chosen through other means.

 Constituent unit

A constitutionally recognised geographical unit in a federation, such as a state. In federal systems, the constitution divides sovereign powers between a federal authority and the constituent units i.e. the states

 Constitution

The  supreme or fundamental law of a country; a foundation upon which other laws or norms derive their validity. It outlines the structure and operation of institutions of governance, rules of procedure of that government, rights and responsibilities of citizens, use of public funds, etc.

 Constitutional review

A process of considering whether an existing constitution ought to be amended which may or may not end in a new constitution. In the Nigerian context, it refers to the actual process of altering the provisions of the constitution.

 Constitutional reform

Amendment or replacement of the constitution or wider changes in society and governance.

 Constitutionalism

A practice or philosophy of adherence to constitutional principles involving limits on the power of the government put by those constitutional principles and words of the constitution.

 Constitutionality

Acting in accordance with the provisions or principles of a constitution

 Debate

A discussion of a subject under consideration by the legislature. It could be on a bill or motion before the chamber.

 Decentralisation

Transfer of power from the central government to the states and local governments to enable exercise of administrative, legislative and/or fiscal authority.

 Deliberation

Fair consideration of all positions by the legislature, guided by facts, reason, the values of democracy and the general welfare before decision making.

 Democracy

A system of government by and for the people. Literally means ‘rule by the people’. 

 Devolution

Governmental power is passed over from the central or national government to lower levels of government. Devolution involves transfer of political powers whereas decentralization usually refers to the transfer of administrative or fiscal powers.

 Directive principles

Principles and policies focusing on citizens’ welfare formulated as guidelines for the state such as those contained in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution. Usually not justiciable i.e. unenforceable in court.

 Drafting

Expert task of putting constitutional ideas into precise legal language that those who will employ the constitution, including the courts, are able to interpret. Usually done by legal drafters.

 Election

The process of selecting a person of choice through voting.

 Election petition

Questions on the validity of an election which is presented to a court or tribunal.

 Electoral system

Rules and method of converting votes into seats in an elected body.

 Enact

To make or pass a law.

 Enacting Clause

The phrase preceding the provisions of a bill which identifies the legislative body responsible for its creation. Usually worded “Be it enacted by the National Assembly …”

 Entrenched

Guaranteed in the constitution and difficult to change

 Exclusive power/legislative List

Powers reserved exclusively for the central or federal government. Items in the exclusive legislative list in the 2^nd schedule to the Constitution are assigned to  the federal government; only the National Assembly can legislate on those items.

 Federation Account

Also called “Distributable Pool Account” from which allocations are made to the Federal, State and Local governments. It is made up of revenues collected by the government (excluding personal income tax/PAYE of armed forces and police personnel, foreign services personnel and FCT Abuja residents). Held in trust by the Federal Government on behalf of the three tiers of government for distribution in accordance with a formula prescribed by law.

 First-Past-the-Post system

Electoral system where a candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate gets elected irrespective of the vote share.

 Floor

Reference to the interior of a legislative chamber where plenary discussions take place.

 Franchise

The right to vote.

 Hansard

The official printed record of debates in the National Assembly. 

Hearing

A formal session of a Legislative Committee at which business is conducted or testimony is received or meeting at which witnesses from the general public are invited to participate.

 Judicial review

Powers of the courts to decide upon the constitutionality of a legislative or an executive act and invalidate that act if it is determined to be contrary to constitutional provisions or principles.

 Journal

An official record maintained by each House reporting essential items of daily business, indicating specific action and recording votes. 

Justiciable

Something which can be taken to court for a legal ruling. 

Legality

Lawful; in accordance with the law.

 Legitimacy

State or quality of being accepted as legitimate, lawful or right. It also refers to validity by virtue of political or public acceptance.

 Legislative Day

A day in which a legislative session takes place.

 Legislative Oversight

The power or responsibility of the legislature to review operations of executive agencies, ministries or departments.

 Majority

Either ‘more than half’ (absolute majority) or ‘the largest number’ (simple majority).

 Majority Leader

Spokesman and floor leader for the majority party in each house.

 Minority Leader

Spokesman and floor leader for the minority party in each house.

 Ombudsman

A public official or body that is appointed by the legislature to investigate complaints by individuals about the activities of government agencies. E.g. this function is performed in the Senate and House of Representatives by their Committees on Public Petitions.

 Petition

A letter, often signed by many people, making a specific request to the Legislature.

 Preamble

Introductory part of the constitution setting out its history, the values and aspirations of the people, and authority under which the constitution is made. Also described as the enacting clause of the constitution usually starting with the phrase “We the People…”

 Presiding Officer

Member of the legislature elected by fellow members to preside over its proceedings, regulate debate and interpret its rules impartially. The President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker are presiding officers.

 Principal Officers

Other elected members of the leadership of the National Assembly, including its presiding officers.

Promulgate

Put a law into effect by a formal proclamation.

 Proportional representation

A system of electing members of the legislature where the number of seats allocated to a particular party is determined by the percentage of votes won by that party.

 Quorum

The number of members of a House or Committee required by law or rule to be present before they can conduct official business.

 Quota

An assigned share of legislative seats assigned to a specific group of people (e.g. women, youths, persons with disability, ethnic minorities, religious groups etc.) to compensate for past injustices or exclusion.

 Reading

Refers to the various stages of the legislative process.

Ratification

Making something valid by formally approving or confirming it: ‘a referendum may ratify a constitution’; ‘National Assembly may ratify a treaty’.

 Recess

A temporary halting of legislative business.

 Referendum

A popular vote by the electorate to decide a political issue, not to choose representatives.

Repeal

A legislative act to remove a provision from a law or an enactment from a body of laws.

 Report

A written or verbal statement by a Committee to the National Assembly giving the results of an inquiry or recommendations on a bill.

Rescission

 Resolution

Expression of the will, wish, or direction of the Legislature. A resolution generally does not have the effect of law.

 Rules

Rules adopted by each chamber to govern its operation and procedure. May be also called Standing Orders.

 Sergeant-at-Arms

The head of security in the legislature. Keeps order during legislative proceedings and attends to the Senate President or Speaker when he/she enters or leaves the Assembly Chamber.

 Session

One of the time periods into which a Legislature is divided and convened, usually consisting of a number of separate sittings. The constitution mandates sittings of not less than one hundred and eighty-one days in a year. The National Assembly’s annual sessions typically commence in June.

 Schedule

Appendix to a statute or constitution

 Sitting

A meeting of the Legislative Assembly within a session. 

Standing Committee

Permanent committees established under the standing rules of each chamber and specialising in the consideration of particular subject areas. 

Sovereignty

Absolute power of a country to control or govern its territory and population.

 Sponsor

A member who authors or agrees to introduce a bill or measure.

 Tier of government

Level of government.

 Unicameral

Legislature composed of one chamber.

 Veto

An official action by the President that nullifies legislative action in the passing of a bill or appropriation.