Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has reflected on a time when Nigeria’s National Assembly was a powerful institution capable of overriding presidential vetoes on significant bills.

Speaking at the Champions of Nigerian Content Awards Dinner in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Wednesday, Jonathan shared his thoughts on the dynamic role played by the legislature during his tenure.

Honoured with the Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award, Jonathan recalled his eagerness to sign the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Bill into law.

Naijaonpoint reports that he credited the bill’s passage to the National Assembly’s assertiveness, particularly Senator Lee Maeba of Rivers State, who sponsored the bill, along with other lawmakers.

“When I was acting President in 2010, and the National Assembly presented the bill, I promptly signed it and we quickly established a monitoring body. Someone like Lee Maeba, the bill’s originator, and his group also deserve recognition. That was a period when the National Assembly truly lived up to its name,”Jonathan said.

Jonathan further highlighted the National Assembly’s role in shaping key policies, particularly recalling its ability to pass the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) bill into law.

He praised the Assembly for overriding President Olusegun Obasanjo’s veto of the bill in 2000, an act that showcased its legislative strength.

“In 2000, the NDDC bill was also vetoed by the National Assembly. They overrode President Obasanjo’s refusal. Typically, in other countries, it is the President who vetoes bills,”Jonathan explained.

He emphasised that in Nigeria, it was the National Assembly that held the power to override presidential vetoes, referencing the legal process that led to the establishment of the NDDC Act.

Jonathan said,“If the President does not assent to a bill within 30 days, the National Assembly can reconvene and, with a two-thirds majority calculated by headcount—not voice vote—enact the bill into law.”

He concluded by commending Senator Lee Maeba and his team for their instrumental role in the passage of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Bill and the NDDC Act, both significant achievements of the National Assembly.

“I would like to use this opportunity to commend Lee Maeba and his team,”Jonathan stated, acknowledging their contributions to Nigeria’s legislative successes.

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