Senate asks Jonathan to return original copy of amended constitution

President Goodluck Jonathan has been requested by the Senate to return the original copy of the 2015 constitution amendment bill which was earlier sent to him for assent.

Following the President’s refusal to append his signature on the bill, Deputy Senate President and Chairman of Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Thursday moved a motion urging the Senate to direct the President to return the original copy of the 2015 constitution amendment bill with the signature page intact.

Ekweremadu’s motion, which was against the position of Jonathan that the National Assembly did not have the required quorum to pass the bill, noted that “The President said he was returning the bill with a letter attached to it, but unfortunately the bill was not returned with the letter”.

“So, I move that the Senate President asks the President to return the original copy of bill,” he added.

The Deputy Senate President noted that the required quorum at the National Assembly passed the bill,‎ which informed his reason for asking the president to return the original copy of the bill with the signature page intact.

‎The upper legislative chamber consequently agreed to write to the President asking him to return the original copy of the 2015 constitution amendment bill.

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