Senate focuses on reforms in electoral system, local council, judiciary

• APC cautions Sagay over face-off with NASS

The Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said yesterday that it is focusing on reforms in the electoral system, local council and the judiciary.The alteration according to the committee would reposition the local government system, devolve more powers to the states and reform the judicial system.

Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, at the end of the committee’s meeting said that experts working with the House of Representatives and the Senate Committees on the Constitution amendment project had already harmonised the positions of the two committees ahead of their joint retreat to vote and adopt the proposals.

Among the key electoral reform efforts is a proposed amendment to Section 285 of the Constitution to set a timeline for the conclusion of pre-election matters.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday cautioned the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) against making utterances that may be misconstrued as an attack on the institution of the National Assembly.

APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, maintained that the comments attributed to Sagay are uncalled for, regrettable since it could further complicate the relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government.

The APC’s position is coming on the heels of Sagay’s insistence that he would not comply with the Senate resolution, which summoned him to appear before it for making uncomplimentary remarks against members.

Also, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III yesterday in Kaduna took a critical look at the political crisis between the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government and appealed to them to resolve their differences.

The traditional leaders who spoke at the Kaduna investment forum lamented that instead of the political leaders to think on how to come out of the difficult economic environment facing the country, they are busy fighting each other on political issues ahead of 2019.