Buhari Signs 16 Constitutional Amendment Bills into Law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed 16 constitutional amendment bills into law. This was made known yesterday by the Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi on his Twitter handle.

The Bills seek to make changes to existing laws and issues ranging from the financial independence of States Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary and the removal from the exclusive legislative List matters such as, railway, prison, electricity, to the Concurrent Legislative list.

Also among the bills is the bill that compels the President-elect and governors-elect to submit the names of ministers or commissioners to the Senate and State House of Assembly within 60 days of taking the oath of office.

The assented Constitutional Alteration Bills are:

• Bill to change the names of Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas
• Bill to change the name of Kunchi Local Government Area
• Bill to change the names of Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government Areas
• Bill to correct the name of Atigbo Local Government Area
• Bill to correct the name of Obia/Akpor Local Government Area.
• Bill to provide for the financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary
• Bill to regulate the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly.
• Bill to delete the reference to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code or Evidence Act
• Bill to exclude the period of intervening events in the computation of time for determining pre-election petitions, election petitions and appeals.
• Bill to provide for the post-call qualification of the Secretary of the National Judicial Council.
• Bill to delete the item “prisons” in the Exclusive Legislative List and re-designate it as “Correctional Services” in the Concurrent Legislative List.
• Bill to move the item “railways” from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List
• Bill to allow States to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid.
• Bill to require the President and Governors to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within sixty days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.
• Bill to correct the error in the definition of the boundary of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
• Bill to require the Government to direct its policy towards ensuring the right to food and food security in Nigeria.

It is expected that these bills will be published in the Official Gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in line with the law making process.