Constitution Review: Akpabio, Kalu, political parties unite on gender, electoral, LG reforms

By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja

ABUJA — Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Benjamin Kalu, and leaders of each registered governmental parties nether the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) person travel unneurotic to beforehand antiauthoritarian renewal and organization betterment successful Nigeria’s ongoing constitution review.

The high-level engagement, convened by the House Committee connected Constitution Review successful Abuja, brought unneurotic nationalist chairmen, secretaries, and women leaders of governmental parties to deliberate connected amendments covering judicial and electoral reforms, section authorities autonomy, women’s representation, authorities policing, and quality rights.

Representing the Senate President, Senator Tahir Mongonu urged governmental leaders to dainty the Constitution arsenic a surviving papers that indispensable germinate with the nation’s changing realities.

“We are present due to the fact that we stock 1 belief: that our Constitution indispensable live, breathe, and turn with the times,” Mongonu said. “This engagement with governmental parties is historic. It shows that Nigeria’s ideology is alive, learning, listening, and leading.”

He described judicial reform, women’s inclusion, and section authorities autonomy arsenic “the heartbeats of the Republic,” stressing that electoral credibility and justness stay the duplicate pillars of democracy. Mongonu called for a strengthened Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a judiciary insulated from corruption and governmental pressure, citing reforms successful India and South Africa arsenic palmy examples.

Senate President Akpabio emphasized grassroots governance, stating, “True federalism begins astatine the colony level,” and urged the devolution of powerfulness and resources to section governments to marque ideology tangible to citizens.

On sex representation, Akpabio called for policy-backed inclusion, noting that countries with empowered women person seen important nationalist transformation. “A ideology that sidelines its women weakens itself. Where women rise, nations thrive,” helium said.

He besides supported calls for authorities policing arsenic a pragmatic effect to Nigeria’s information challenges, adding, “The manus that guards indispensable not gag.”

Deputy Speaker Kalu, who chairs the House Committee connected Constitution Review, described the engagement arsenic the astir inclusive and consultative law amendment process successful Nigeria’s antiauthoritarian history. Reflecting connected 26 years since the 1999 Constitution, helium stressed the request to guarantee the governance model meets modern nationalist aspirations.

“Political parties are not conscionable participants successful our democracy; they are its backbone,” Kalu said. “If these amendments indispensable endure, they indispensable bespeak a wide statement that transcends enactment lines.”

He outlined cardinal priorities, including guaranteed legislative seats for women, fiscal autonomy for section governments, and streamlined electoral litigation to guarantee elections bespeak the people’s will.

IPAC National Chairman Yusuf Mamman Dantalle lauded the National Assembly’s “patriotic and visionary reappraisal process” and presented recommendations for law reforms. Key proposals included:

Scrapping State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and empowering INEC to behaviour each 774 section authorities elections.

Establishing an Independent Appointment Committee (IAC) for INEC officials to fortify independence.

Restoring nationalist backing for governmental parties with transparent fiscal mechanisms.

Creating an Electoral Offences Commission to prosecute vote-buying, ballot snatching, and effect falsification.

Replacing vacant legislative seats done the archetypal governmental enactment alternatively than costly by-elections.

Supporting peculiar legislative seats for women to guarantee sex inclusion successful policymaking.

Dantalle emphasized that empowering women strengthens ideology and called the process a measurement toward a “people’s Constitution” built connected equality, justice, and the extortion of cardinal rights.

The engagement highlighted the committedness of the National Assembly and governmental parties to a much inclusive, accountable, and effectual governance model for Nigeria.

The station Constitution Review: Akpabio, Kalu, governmental parties unite connected gender, el...