The Senate on Tuesday approved financial autonomy for state legislatures, judiciary and local governments in the country.

This followed voting on the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022 at the plenary.

Ninety-two senators voted in favour of the amendment, while two voted against it.

The upper chamber also approved financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary, as 83 senators voted in its favour, while one senator voted against it.

The senators also rejected two bills aimed at overriding presidential veto in constitution alteration, and to override a presidential veto in respect of ordinary money bills.

The bill on the procedure for overriding presidential veto in constitutional alteration sought to provide for the procedure for passing a constitution alteration bill where the president withholds assent.

On the other hand, the bill for an act to alter the provisions of the constitution to provide the procedure for overriding executive veto in respect of money bills sought to provide for a mode of exercising federal legislative power on money bills before the National Assembly.

While 94 senators registered to vote on the bill to override a presidential veto in constitutional alteration, 79 lawmakers of the upper chamber voted in support while 15 voted against it.

On the bill to override a presidential veto in respect of money bills, out of a total of 84 registered senators, 44 voted in support, while 39 senators voted against the bill. 

(NAN)