NIGERIA (Nasarawa) – The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has passed into law the Local Government Amendment Bill 2013 through a simple majority vote at the plenary held yesterday.

The bill which stipulates one-year tenure for elected council chairmen and councilors was passed into law following a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Godiya Akwashiki (PDP) Nassarawa-Eggon West, who said since it took Governor Tanko Al-Makura more than three months to sign the bill into law, far beyond the 30 days allowed by the constitution, the assembly was left with no option than to override the executive and to pass the bill into law through two-thirds simple majority.

In his own view, Umaru Tanko-Tunga (APC, Awe North), cautioned both the executive and legislative arms of government against taking decisions capable of causing more hardships to the people at the grassroots.

Mr. Tanko-Tunga, who described the one-year tenure passed by the assembly for elected council officials “as not practical”, however, disagreed with the executive for allowing the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC) to commence preparations for the council elections even in the absence of the requisite law.

Through a voice vote, the Speaker, Ahmed Mohammed, pronounced the passage of the State Local Government Amendment Bill into law.

Commenting on the development, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Innocent Lagi, said the lawmakers acted out of ignorance.

”The assembly cannot overrule the executive and pass a bill into law through a voice vote,” he said.