National Assembly Once Stood Strong Against Presidents — Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has praised past National Assemblies for demonstrating uncommon legislative courage by overriding presidential vetoes and enacting critical laws.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Champions of Nigerian Content Awards Dinner organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Jonathan recounted how the legislature once stood its ground on vital national issues.
Jonathan, who received the Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award, recalled signing the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Bill into law in 2010 during his tenure as Acting President. He commended Senator Lee Maeba and his colleagues who sponsored the bill, describing the lawmakers as part of a truly vibrant legislature.
He said, “When I was acting President in 2010 and the National Assembly presented the bill, I promptly signed it, and we quickly established a monitoring body. Someone like Lee Maeba, the bill’s originator, and his group also deserve recognition. That was a period when the National Assembly truly lived up to its name.”
The former president also referenced the 2000 passage of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) bill, which became law despite President Olusegun Obasanjo’s refusal to assent.
“In 2000, the NDDC bill was also vetoed by the National Assembly. They overrode President Obasanjo’s refusal. Typically, in other countries, it is the President who vetoes bills.
“But in Nigeria, during the law-making process, it is the National Assembly that can exercise the veto. If the President does not assent to a bill within 30 days, the National Assembly can reconvene and, with a two-thirds majority calculated by headcount—not voice vote—enact the bill into law.
“That is how the NDDC Act came into being, thanks to a truly vibrant National Assembly.
“I would like to use this opportunity to commend Lee Maeba and his team,” Jonathan concluded.ncluded.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
