The House of Representatives on Thursday suspended the consideration of the constitution review bills, postponing the exercise to another legislative day to allow members more time to study the documents.
The development effectively pushes the long-anticipated debate to next week, despite earlier assurances that the chamber would devote three consecutive legislative days to the process.
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Last Thursday, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, announced that the House would spend Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week concluding debates on the proposed amendments before taking a final position the following week.
However, the chamber shifted its focus on Tuesday to other legislative matters, including bills and motions, leaving out the constitution review items.
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On Wednesday, Mr Kalu laid the committee’s reports before the House, after which the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, announced that consideration of the bills would commence on Thursday.
As proceedings resumed on Thursday, the House took up a few matters of urgent public importance before dissolving into the Committee of the Whole to begin clause-by-clause consideration of the proposed amendments.
But moments before deliberations began, Inuwa Garba (PDP, Gombe) raised concerns that many lawmakers had not yet received printed copies of the constitution review documents. He noted that the papers were distributed only after members were already seated in the Committee of the Whole, making it impractical for lawmakers to make informed contributions.
He urged the House to suspend the exercise for another legislative day.
His request received immediate backing from the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda.
“When we return, we will be fully prepared,” Mr Chinda assured.
However, some lawmakers argued that the House should proceed. Alhassan Doguwa (APC, Kano), while acknowledging the concerns raised, cautioned against persistent delays.
“This is an important national assignment,” he said. “Anything worth doing is worth doing well, but we cannot continue postponing.”
He warned that continued adjournments could hinder the House’s responsibility to handle a matter as fundamental as the nation’s constitution.
Also speaking, Ibrahim Isiaka (APC, Ogun) reminded his colleagues of the centrality of the constitution to Nigeria’s democracy.
“The only book that serves as the pillar of why we are here is what I am holding, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He appealed to the Clerk of the House to ensure full circulation of the documents before the next sitting.
“We should not pass blame, but if colleagues have genuine concerns, let us step it down today and by the close of business tomorrow, we appeal to the clerk of the house and all officers concerned that they should please ensure this is circulated and we will have a date next week and if it is Tuesday, so be it but today, let us for now temporarily halt what we have,” he said.
A majority of lawmakers who contributed thereafter supported the call to suspend deliberations.
Mr Kalu subsequently put the matter to a voice vote. The lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in support of the suspension of the debate until another legislative day.
Mr Kalu announced that the leadership would set a new date for the consideration and directed the clerk to ensure the timely distribution of the documents.
“It will no longer be acceptable that when we meet again, members do not have the copies,” he warned.
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