National Assembly throws out bills to grant life pension, immunity for Senate President, Speaker, deputies

The lawmakers, on Tuesday, voted on the 68 amendments proposed by their ad hoc committees on constitution review.

A bill that seeks to grant life pension to presiding officers of the National Assembly has failed at the National Assembly.

The bill is titled, “Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide Pension for Presiding Officers of the National Assembly; and for Related Matters.”

It was rejected during the voting process at both chambers on Tuesday.

But when lawmakers were called upon to register and vote on the said legislation, less than the required number voted.

Although the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, did not announce the number of senators that registered, he simply said the bill has “conclusively failed.”

“This bill has conclusively failed,” he said, trying to control his laughter.

“But it is a good thing and a good message to our country that we do not sit here to do things for ourselves.”

In the Senate, a minimum of two-thirds of the entire Senate was required to pass the legislation.

162 members of the House of Representatives voted for the provision, three members abstained, while 193 voted against it.