The House of Representatives’ Committee on Constitution Review has called for the retention of the four-year two terms for the President, Vice-President and state governors and their deputies.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Malam Zakari Mohammed, disclosed this to newsmen in Ilorin on Tuesday.
This position is different from the Senate committee’s position on the constitution review, which is a six-year single term for the four political offices.
Mohammed said the House’s position on the issue was the true reflection of the vast majority of the people.
He advised Nigerians not to believe that the Senate committee’s recommendation came from all members of the National Assembly.
“We are bringing out our own report soon. In the report, we have retained the structure of two four-year terms as it is in the Constitution.
“When we present our report, of course there will be conference committees between the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“If they don’t agree, there will be a conference and it is about 360 members of the House of Representatives and 109 Senators. At the end of the day the position of the House would be the law.
“We (the House) went down to Nigerians, who are in the 360 federal constituencies. Many people in the 360 constituencies wanted a retention of the two four-year terms as enshrined in the Constitution.
“That is the judgment which we brought from the people, because our own Constitution review was people based and it was an opportunity to interface with our people.
“So, rather than mix the issue up, we need to be very clear. The Senate has submitted its own report, and our report is ready at the House.
“By the time we come back from the break we will present it on the floor of the House, because it will come as a single bill.
“It will go through the process of first reading and second reading, then a public hearing and afterwards it will come back to the floor of the House.
“We will then adopt the report, and it will become a clean Act which Mr. President will assent to,’’ Mohammed said.
