Tensions flared in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers rejected seven constitution amendment bills during a heated plenary session led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
The bills, all scheduled for second reading, failed to progress after a joint vote by members. Despite efforts by the House Committee on Rules and Business to split the vote, lawmakers insisted on their stance.
One of the key proposals, HB. 2227, sought to strip the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its authority to register and regulate political parties. The bill, jointly sponsored by Speaker Abbas and Hon. Francis Waive, would have transferred that power to a newly established Office of the Registrar General of Political Parties.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu sponsored HB. 2291, which aimed to rotate the offices of President and Vice President among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, and South West. Supporters described the bill as a path to national unity, but it failed to win majority backing.
Hon. Julius Ihonvbere pushed for several changes through three separate bills. HB. 2288 proposed creating independent Offices of State Auditors-General for Local Governments and the FCT Area Councils. According to him, the measure would strengthen grassroots accountability and oversight.
In HB. 2279, Ihonvbere called for increasing the number of Federal High Court judges to at least 100. He argued that a larger bench would ease delays in the judicial system. Additionally, HB. 2280 proposed expanding the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction to cover admiralty law, including navigation on Rivers Niger and Benue.
Another of his bills, HB. 2281, would have granted the National Judicial Council (NJC) the power to set and review salaries for judicial officers, working alongside the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission.
The last bill, HB. 2248, introduced by Hon. Francis Waive, proposed the creation of Ughelli East Local Government Area in Delta State. Advocates said the new LGA would bring governance closer to the people.
Initially, the leadership grouped all seven bills for a single vote. Lawmakers, however, rejected them collectively. Several attempts to separate the bills for individual consideration also failed, despite appeals from the Rules and Business Committee.
There is hope that the House might revisit the bills during Wednesday’s plenary, especially if sponsors rally more support.
