House of Representatives yesterday witnessed a rowdy session over the amendment of the Constitution.
Shortly after the House dissolved into the Committee of the whole to consider the bills, Hon. Mojeed Alabi raised a point of order, a development, which degenerated into a shouting bout.
A statement from the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Yusuf Lasun said that the lawmaker, a Professor, who raised the point of order wanted to hold the nation to ransom, further aggravated the already tensed environment, but the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, eventually put the situation under control, when he ruled Hon. Alabi out of order.
The Speaker, however, urged members to take the vote serious to enable the public know the position and stand of the House.
He also pointed out that any of the bills rejected in the Senate, remains rejected whether passed in the House.
Of the 30 bills the House considered, 21 were passed, while nine were rejected.
While the Senate had passed the Bill on the appointment of indigenes as Minister of Federal Capital Territory, the House yesterday rejected it.
The House also differred on the 35 percent appointment of women. While the Senate had rejected it, the House yesterday passed it.
The Citizenship and Indigeneship for women caused a rowdy session in the House, when the votes were not up to two third, which is 240 as required by the House.
This development made the Speaker to call for a repeat when women lawmakers were almost exchanging blows with their male counterparts. Even at that, the votes were still not up to two third, but 208.
Another Bill, which also caused tension in the House was Reduction of age for election. Rallying support for the Bill, members voted massively for it.
The House also differred with the Senate on the separation of office of the Attorney General of the Federation from the Minister of Justice.
While the Senate passed it, the House rejected it. But the House, however concured with the Senate and rejected devolution of powers.
The Bill on Judicial Reform was passed by the House. This propsed Bill, rejects the judiciary from declaring a candidate winner of an election he or she did not participate.
The House, however, made an amendment on the composition of Council of State for sacked Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) not to be included in the Council of State.
Members also voted against State creation and boundary adjustment in concurrence with their Senate counterparts who rejected it on Wednesday.
Out of the 299 lawmakers in attendance, 294 participated with166 voting yes, 125 voted No, and 3 members abstained.
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