Senate rejects power devolution, seeks immunity for members

The Senate, on Wednesday, voted on the proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution during which the lawmakers rejected devolution of power to the states.

At its plenary in Abuja, the lawmakers rejected the alteration of the Second Schedule, Parts I and II of the Constitution to move certain items to the Concurrent Legislative List to give more legislative powers to states.

The proposed amendment on power devolution was to also “delineate the extent to which the federal legislature and state assemblies can legislate on the items that have been moved to the Concurrent Legislative List.”

After votes were taken, 46 senators voted for devolution of power, 48 voted against it, while one Senator abstained.

But the pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere and a faction of the Ijaw National Congress have faulted the Senate for rejecting devolution of power to the states.

They argued that if the Senate had approved the clause, it would have given hope to fillip to the agitations for restructuring of the country.

The Senate also approved the inclusion of former Presidents of the Senate and Speakers of the House of Representatives in the Council of State.

It accepted the removal of state independent electoral commission from the Constitution and the transfer of its functions to the Independent National Electoral Commission.