FG drags National Assembly to Supreme Court

The Federal Government has dragged the National Assembly to the Supreme Court over the recent constitution amendment saga.

The FG filed the case on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, and is seeking for an order nullifying all the proposed amendments to the 1999 constitution.

The government, through an originating summons prayed the court to declare the amendments unconstitutional.

The FG claims that the supposed Fourth Alteration Act 2015 was not passed with the mandatory requirement of four-fifths majority of members of the National Assembly as required by the constitution.

“That the said purported Fourth Alteration Act 2015 contains many proposed amendments inconsistent with the spirit of federalism, separation of powers and checks and balances, all of which constitute the hallmark of the Constitution and democracy,” an affidavit sworn to aid the government’s case read.

President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier refused to approve the amendments citing non-compliance with Section 9 of the 1999 constitution.

The National Assembly then demanded that Jonathan return the bill along with its original signature page after it was rumoured that the President had changed his mind about the bill after already signing it.