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The House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review has recommended the creation of 111 additional legislative seats in the National Assembly solely for women, beginning from the 2023 general election.
The lower chamber of the National Assembly, however, rejected the creation of state police after 14 members voted against the provision while 11 members voted in support of it in the proposed constitutional amendment.
The decision was taken at the meeting of the Committee’s meeting with Consultants at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja on Wednesday during which amendments to section 48, 49, 71, and 91 which deals with the composition of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and state houses of Assembly to create additional seats for women were adopted.
The Adhoc Committee, however, stepped down consideration of the clause which deals with immunity for Presiding Officers of the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly as well as judicial officers.
The Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Committee, Ahmed Wase, however, noted that the provision on state Police had scaled through in the Senate, saying the report of the Committee will be submitted to the House for adoption before the end of February.
“Today’s meeting is the continuation of what we started earlier on. If you recall sometimes back before we went on break, we had similar meetings where we were able to discuss and vote clause by clause on these areas: electoral matters, local government autonomy, and judicial reform.
“And we stopped at that, hoping that by the time we resume and today, by the grace of God, it is what we are about to continue on the remaining areas for the clause by clause.
“Please, I want to beg for your understanding to give us the maximum cooperation so that we will be able to deliver what is expected of us to Nigerians as we did promise at the commencement of this House.
“I want to believe that if we work very hard, our timetable is that we are going to do our voting at the end or towards the end of February this year and hopefully, the transmission would be done at the end of the month to the President,” Wase said.
