June 3, 2021

Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege has assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari is interested in the constitutional review process and will assent to any bill that emanates from it.

He also promised that the Senate will work towards an inclusive amendment of the constitution free from the manipulations of political actors.

Senator Omo-Agege who on Thursday was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today urged all those agitating for a new constitution to mount pressure on their representatives at the National Assembly.

For those who seek to repeal the Constitution, an amendment will not suffice, however, Senator Omo-Agege in his interview stated that the legislators “do not have the power to write a new Constitution,” adding that the only power vested in the legislature is the ability to alter.

According to him, the extant legal order only provides for alterations, not a total overhaul. He stressed that Section 9 which some often quote, envisages that any provision of the constitution can be altered, but not all at once.

Omo-Agege further disclosed that for a rewrite of the constitution to be done, then Section 9 would have to be amended, however, for this section to be revised, then four-fifth vote in the Senate which is about 88 Senators out of 109 and about 288 members of the House of Reps.

The Deputy Senate President said a bill needs to be put forward to effect an amendment of Section 9, however, noted that it is very difficult to muster the vote needed for a revision of the section that could give the power needed to have the present constitution repealed.