Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Nigerian Constitution

NIGERIA NASS VS THE PRESIDENCY ON CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT

On Constitutional amendment and NASS affront on the Supreme Court: The news that the National Assembly is bent on going ahead to override the veto of Mr. President on the fourth alteration Act in disregard to an order of status quo made by the Supreme Court, if true, is to say the least unhealthy for our Democracy. A number of lame arguments have been presented to justify this anathema. First, the widely bought argument that the apex court lacks jurisdiction on the case overlooks the provisions of the Supreme Court (Additional Original Jurisdiction) Act (enacted by the National Assembly itself) which confers original jurisdiction on the court in any dispute between the President and the National Assembly. Assuming without conceding that the court acted ultra vires, is it for the National Assembly to constitute itself as an appeal court ? determining when a court possesses or lacks jurisdiction to determine a suit? At least, Democratic civility requires that the NASS challenges