The senate on Tuesday rose from about two-hour
executive session on Wednesday and announced
the suspension of its planned process to override
President Goodluck Jonathan’s veto on the Fourth
Alteration Act 2015 which seeks to further amend
the 1999 Constitution.
Senate President, David Mark, who addressed the
chamber after the closed-door session, said the
senators as lawmakers, would always abide by the
law of the land, since the Supreme Court had asked
the federal parliament to stay further action on the
document.
Mark said,”We are law makers, we will not be law
breakers. In fact we are responsible senior citizens
who should not be seen to be breaking laws in one
way or the other.
“However the executive should not take the
National Assembly for granted any longer.”
The senators had on Tuesday vowed to begin the
process of overriding the President’s veto today, by
taking the first reading of the bill to adopt the
gazette of the controversial amendment Bill.
It will be recalled that Jonathan had in a letter dated
April 13, addressed to Senate President David Mark
and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr.
Aminu Tambuwal, announced his decision to reject
the Constitution (Alteration) Bill 2015.
He had cited perceived deliberate attempts by
federal lawmakers to whittle down presidential
powers and their failure to strictly adhere to
constitutional provisions on the amendments to
Section 9 of the constitution by observing four-fifths
majority support in each chamber before it could
amend it.
The president had further argued that the National
Assembly only observed two-thirds majority
support for the amendment instead of four-fifths
stipulation in the constitution before amending the
section.
The amendment to the section strips the president
of the power to sign an amendment bill before
becoming effective.
Following the president’s letter, the Senate on April
15 demanded the return of the bill to the National
Assembly by the president.
The demand was the fallout of an allegation that
the president had earlier signed the bill before he
was prevailed upon by the AGF to withdraw his
assent.
Suspecting that the National Assembly might move
to override the president’s veto as a result of the
demand, the federal government proceeded to the
Supreme Court to stop the National Assembly from
further carrying out any legislation on the
amendment bill with the intention to render it
handicapped.
The Supreme Court eventually ruled on the suit on
May 7, asking the National Assembly to maintain
the status quo ante on the amendment until the
final determination of the suit.
It also described the suit as incompetent, saying it
should have been between the president and the
National Assembly and not between the AGF and
the National Assembly as the case had been.
The apex court also queried the federal
government’s counsel for not joining the state
houses of assembly in the suit since they were also
part of the amendment process.

www.punchng.com/news/constitution-amendment-senate-suspends-move-to-override-jonathan/