Nigeria’s House of Representatives has successfully passed a series of bills related to the establishment of State and Local Government Police.
Other bills that also scaled through the second reading during Tuesday’s plenary included those for the creation of special legislative seats for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and other special interest groups.
These measures were part of 39 constitutional amendment bills aimed at enhancing judicial and legislative security, as well as introducing electoral reforms. The bills were passed without any debate.
Notable among these bills are:
- A Bill to Establish Special Legislative Seats for Persons with Disabilities (PWD): Sponsored by Reps. Tajudeen Abbas and Marcus Onobun, this bill seeks to provide dedicated legislative seats for PWDs at the federal, state, and local government levels.
- A Bill for Special Seats for Special Interest Groups in the House of Representatives: Introduced by Rep. Akintunde Rotimi (APC-Ekiti), this bill advocates for six reserved seats in the House for special interest groups.
- A Bill to Establish State and Local Government Police: Co-sponsored by Rep. Francis Waive (APC-Delta) and Rep. Akintunde Rotimi, this bill seeks to amend the constitution to allow for the establishment of state and local government police forces.
- A Bill to Broaden Public Service Engagement in Healthcare: Sponsored by Rep. Ahmed Wase (APC-Plateau), this bill aims to allow public servants to engage in healthcare services beyond farming.
- A Bill for Gender Equality in the Federal Character Commission: Sponsored by Rep. Kaftlat Ogbara (APC-Lagos), this bill calls for gender equality in the composition of the Federal Character Commission.
- A Bill to Regulate Political Parties: Sponsored by Rep. Aminu Daura (APC-Katsina), this bill proposes the creation of a Political Parties Registration and Regulatory Commission to oversee political parties.
- A Bill to Expand the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court: Sponsored by Rep. Muktar Shagaya (APC-Kwara), this bill seeks to grant the Federal High Court the authority to try offences related to violations of the Electoral Act.
- A Bill to Strengthen Judicial Independence: This bill calls for changes to ensure the proper transition of heads of courts and guarantees judicial independence.
- A Bill to Require Resignation Before Political Defection: Sponsored by Rep. Adebayo Balogun (APC-Lagos), this bill proposes that members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly must resign from their political party before defecting.
Deputy Speaker Rep. Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, directed that all 39 bills be referred to the Committee on Review of the Constitution for further legislative actions.
