Senate to strip Buhari of power of assent

The Senate has reportedly revealed plans to strip President Muhammadu Buhari of powers to assent the ongoing constitution amendment.

According to The Sun, this was revealed at the ongoing retreat Senate committee in Lagos.

Delivering a speech at the event, the chairperson of the committee and Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said since former President Goodluck Jonathan did not sign the Fourth Alteration Bill into law, which stripped the president of powers to veto any bill, it would be reconsidered with fresh inputs.

"Presidential veto of a bill to amend the constitution makes jest of the philosophy of sovereignty, which is that power belongs to the people, and that the people exercise this sovereignty through their representatives in parliament," he was quoted as saying.

A report by This Day said the review of the 1999 Constitution also sought to introduce a fresh amendment that would guarantee the decentralization of the Nigerian police and consequently break the age-long control of policing by the federal government. 

Ekweremadu said although the campaign for state police failed in the last constitution amendment exercise, it had the possibility of sailing through in the ongoing process as several developments had taken place between then and now.