The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved 39 constitutional amendment bills for a second reading.
Among the proposed amendments are:
- A bill mandating that general elections for the offices of the President, State Governors, National Assembly members, State Houses of Assembly members, and Local Government Councils be conducted simultaneously on the same day.
- A bill for the establishment of State and Local Government Police forces.
- A bill to create a House of Assembly for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
- A bill designating the Court of Appeal as the final court for governorship, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly election petitions.
- A bill requiring national and state executive members of political parties to resign before contesting elective positions.
- A bill ensuring that all appeals from election petition tribunals are resolved before the swearing-in of elected officials, including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, and legislators.
- A bill granting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the power to conduct local government elections.
- A bill requiring lawmakers at both the national and state levels to officially resign from their political party before defecting.
- A bill empowering the National Assembly to amend election tribunal timelines.
- A bill establishing the National Local Government Electoral Commission as an independent body responsible for organizing, conducting, and supervising local government elections nationwide, including in the FCT, to ensure transparency and credibility in grassroots democracy.
- A bill transferring the authority to conduct local government elections from State Independent Electoral Commissions to INEC.
- A bill providing special legislative seats for physically challenged persons at federal, state, and local government levels.
- A bill proposing six special seats in the House of Representatives for special interest groups.
- A bill renaming the Auditor-General of the Federation to Auditor-General of the Federal Government.
- A bill removing restrictions on the powers and duties of the Auditor-General at both federal and state levels while ensuring financial autonomy for the offices.
- A bill strengthening the offices of the Auditor-General at federal and state levels.
- A bill establishing the Political Parties Registration and Regulatory Commission to oversee the registration, regulation, and monitoring of political parties.
- A bill expanding the number of Supreme Court justices to enhance efficiency, expedite justice delivery, and ensure compliance with federal character principles.
Other constitutional amendment proposals were also included in the session.