Showdown Looms As Reps Move To End Senate Monopoly On Appointment Confirmation

The House of Representatives is taking steps to strip the Senate of its constitutional powers over the confirmation of appointments.

According to the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu, the House has received some memoranda to alter the constitution to strip the Senate of the monopoly on confirmation of appointments.

Kalu made this known during the consideration of a conference report on the South-East Development Commission Bill after a lawmaker, Isiaka Ibrahim (APC, Ogun) raised questions on the monopoly of the Senate on confirmation of appointments.

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“With due respect, this has now become a recurring decimal, each time we have a conference committee, and it involves the approval for nomination, the senate would always tell us to remove the National Assembly and put the Senate,” Mr Isiaka said while reacting to the report.

In responding to the question asked, Mr Kalu disclosed that “it is based on our constitution, and in the course of the ongoing constitution amendment, some have submitted memoranda to amend it that where the senate appears, it should be changed to the National Assembly. That is ongoing in the constitution review.”

This move is expected to create a massive showdown between the House and the Senate.