The Senate on Wednesday commenced manual voting on the proposed constitutional amendment seeking the establishment of state police across Nigeria.
The lawmakers are voting clause by clause on the bill as part of ongoing efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution.
The development follows the Senate’s decision to abandon electronic voting after concerns that malfunctioning devices could disenfranchise some lawmakers.
Under the arrangement, senators are required to stand individually, announce their names and openly declare their positions on the proposed state police framework.
Moving the motion for manual voting, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the procedure would ensure transparency and prevent any senator from being excluded from the process.
“There is a need to also ensure transparency both within ourselves as people who will be performing this major constitutional responsibility, as well as among members of the public,” he said.
“Rather than go by way of electronic voting, which is obviously not feasible today, and disenfranchise a few of our colleagues whose machines are not working, I am moving that we give every distinguished senator the opportunity to answer his or her father’s name by voting manually.”
The motion was seconded by Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro.
Meanwhile, the Senate also approved the admission of governors and other senior government officials into the chamber to observe deliberations on the state police bill after initially rejecting the request.
Among those present were Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; and the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged lawmakers to reconsider the earlier decision, noting that governors and other stakeholders should witness deliberations on a proposal that would require approval by state Houses of Assembly.
Following his appeal, the Senate approved a motion suspending the relevant rules to allow the visitors into the chamber.
If passed by the National Assembly and endorsed by the required number of state assemblies, the amendment will pave the way for the creation of state-controlled police forces alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
