President Muhammadu Buhari has signed a constitutional amendment that stops a vice president who completes the tenure of a president from contesting for the office of the President more than once.
The amendment also applies to a deputy governor who completes the tenure of a state governor.
This was made known to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday, by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang.
The term of a President or a governor can be aborted by virtue of death, resignation or removal, thereby paving the way for the Vice President or deputy governor to take over.
Enang said the President also signed an amendment to the constitution that grants autonomy to state judiciary and state Houses of Assembly.
He added that the President also signed an amendment that reduced the duration for determining pre-election matters in courts to ensure that such matters do not enter get into the time of the elections and do not linger thereafter.
The presidential aide added that there was another amendment which increased the time the Independent National Electoral Commission has to conduct by-election in case of vacancy from the present seven days to 21 days.
Enang said,
“I just want to inform you that His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari today (Friday) assented to the Constitution Fourth Alteration Bill which grants financial autonomy and independence to the Houses of Assembly of the respective states and to the Judiciary of the respective states.”
