2019: Sokoto Assembly rejects independent candidacy

The Sokoto State House of Assembly on Tuesday, rejected the alteration of constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to provide for independent candidacy in election.

The rejection followed the consideration of a report of the House Ad-hoc Committee on the adoption of the alteration of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.

Presenting the report, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Garba Bello (APC- Yabo), said that the committee conducted town hall meetings that covered the three Senatorial zones of the state.

Bello said, “The committee observed that alteration bill to abrogate the state joint local government accounts and empower each local government, to maintain its own special account had the support of the 23 local governments in the state.”‎

The deputy chiarman also said the 23 local governments backed the four other alterations, including the strengthening of local government administration in Nigeria ‎and to change the name of Nigeria Police Force to ‘Nigeria Police’.

According to him, the majority of the local governments in the state also support “Alteration to provide for the procedure for passing a Constitution alteration bill.

In such circumstance, he said, ‘’the President withholds assent and to specify the period within with the President or Governor presents the Appropriation bill before the Assembly.

“But the alteration to provide for independent candidature in election was rejected by the

“As such, the committee recommended that Assembly should accept the five alterations and reject the alteration to provide for independent candidature in election, based on the wishes of the citizens,” Bello said.

The Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Abubabar Magaji, who presided over the plenary put the motion into vote and it was accepted by the majority of the members.

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