Breaking: National Assembly Begins Voting On Constitution Amendment

The Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives have begun the voting process on the fifth alteration to the 1999 constitution.

The mood among the lawmakers is to vote yes and allow the constituent assemblies (state assemblies) decide the 24+ numbers required for it to become law.

Although none of the lawmakers disclose how they will vote, it was learnt that majority of them prefer a ‘yes’ vote.

Preparatory to the voting process, the Senate President Ahmad Lawan, announced on the floor that voting will be by electronic voting.

Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman of the review of the constitution, is currently presenting a report on the amendment bill before voting will commence.

Similar process is under way in the lower legislative chamber.

“For today’s exercise, we will use electronic voting. We have tested the system and it is working,” Lawan said in his opening remarks.

“Omo-Agege will present the report. We will listen to his presentation and we can take comments and we will thereafter go into the voting process.

“I will announce the bill then we will take it as it is presented in the report and senators will each register with our cards.

”It will take us 30 seconds to vote. You will press the button for registration. Then there is registration, ‘Yes, no and abstain’. Voting will take another 30 seconds.

“If you don’t vote within 30 seconds, you have lost your vote. If a bill passes in the senate and the house, such bill would have passed in the national assembly and will be sent to states.

“If a bill passes in the senate but fails to pass in the house, that bill is dead – and vice versa.”