Constitution Amendment: Senate Set To Battle With GEJ

The Senate is set to engage President Goodluck Jonathan in a final showdown for rejecting the amendments made to the 1999 constitution.

Members of the Nigerian Senate in session

Last month, President Jonathan rejected the amendments made by the National Assembly citing several reasons. Some of the reasons ranges from the amendment not satisfying the requirements of section 9(3) Constitution of 1999 as amended, whittling down executive powers, giving executive powers to the legislature and the Judiciary among others.

The Supreme Court has also banned the National Assembly from taking further steps towards amending the ‎1999 constitution, mandating it to keep the status quo on the case till June 18, 2015.

But the lawmakers have insisted that the Supreme Court lacks the power to stop it from amending the 1999 Constitution which it says is its legal duty.

In pursuance to this, The Nation reports that the Senate on Monday, May 11, paved the way to override President Jonathan’s veto of the constitution as amended and is set to begin the process today, May 13, 2015.

According to findings, the National Assembly has come under intense pressure by concerned persons who oppose the plot to override the President’s veto on the amended constitution.

Admitting to this, a Senator told The Nation that: “some highly placed Nigerians have been making frantic efforts to convince the National Assembly to take a second look at the reasons Mr. President gave for withholding his assent.”

He said the National Assembly is mindful that it has little time left and is determined to carry out its constitutional duties to the end. He also added that there was nothing personal in what they were doing.