Latest news with #constitutionalamendments
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump ally Bukele secures path to indefinite reelections in El Salvador
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, an ally of President Trump, scored a Friday win after the country's lawmakers passed constitutional amendments eradicating term limits. The measure was passed in a 57-3 vote just one year after Bukele broke with the law setting term limits by saying he would seek a second term as president. The nation's Supreme Court ruled in 2021 it was his right to run again, foreshadowing the actions by lawmakers. 'This is quite simple, El Salvador: only you will have the power to decide how long you wish to support the work of any public official, including your president,' said elected official Ana Figueroa, who proposed the bill, according to Reuters. 'You have the power to decide how long you support your president and all elected officials,' she added. The bill backed by Bukele's New Ideas party also extends presidential terms from five years to six and omits the possibility of run-off elections. It also aligns presidential elections with congressional races, ensuring the two occur in the same year. Some decried the move, claiming it would compromise election integrity. 'Democracy in El Salvador has died,' opposing lawmaker Marcela Villatoro of the Nationalist Republican Alliance said, according to NPR. 'You don't realize what indefinite reelection brings: It brings an accumulation of power and weakens democracy … there's corruption and clientelism because nepotism grows and halts democracy and political participation.' A human rights organization also shared its disapproval for the bill's passage. 'The day before vacation, without debate, without informing the public, in a single legislative vote, they changed the political system to allow the president to perpetuate himself in power indefinitely and we continue to follow the well-traveled path of autocrats,' said Noah Bullock, executive director of rights group Cristosal, according to Reuters. Bukele has overseen the Trump administration's deportation orders by containing immigrants sent from the U.S. in the region's notorious CECOT prison. Bukele backed Trump's previous decision to keep a wrongfully removed Maryland man behind bars overseas and mocked Democrats who attempted to have him freed, siding with the president's immigration enforcement policies. Now, he has a chance to remain in office indefinitely after the successful passage of five constitutional amendments, making Bukele an available key figure for the Trump administration's international plans. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Nigeria Senate describe reports of approving creation of 31 new states as fake news
Nigeria National Assembly don describe tori wey dey spread say lawmakers don approve di creation of 31 new states for Nigeria as fake news. Tok-tok pesin for di Senate, Yemi Adaramodu tell BBC News Pidgin say di "National Assembly alone no fit create states for Nigeria, plus di proposal go pass through various stages of constitutional amendments, wey include further public hearings". Di proposal for state creation must also get di approval of two-third majority of di number of states houses of assembly. "Na thorough process," senator Adaramodu add. BBC News Pidgin seek oga Adaramodu response afta we spot tori wey pipo don share plenty times on WhatsApp wia dem claim say di Senate don give green light for di creation of di 31 new states. Na for February 2025, di House of Representatives committee on constitutional review tok say dem receive proposals for di creation of 31 new states for di federation. Chairman of di committee, Benjamin Kalu propose say make dem create six new states for North Central, four for North East, five for North West, five for South East, four for South-South and seven for South West. If di National Assembly approve dis proposal, Nigeria go get 67 wey go big pass di 50 states wey America get. Wen di process go conclude neva dey clear, as senator Adaramodu tok say na long process wey involve various stages of constitutional amendments. Wetin Nigeria constitution tok on state creation Section eight of di Nigeria constitution make provision for how to create a new state for di kontri. First, di request for new state go dey supported by at least two-thirds majority of members wey dey represent di area demanding di new State for di National Assembly (both Senate and House of Reps), di State House of Assembly of di area, and di local goment councils of di area. Den di proposal for creation of state go enta referendum - voting - wia at least two-thirds majority of di people for di area go vote in support or against di demand for creation of di State. Afta dat, di result of di referendum go dey approved by a simple majority of all di states of di federation supported by a simple majority of members of State Houses of Assembly. Di last step na for di proposal to dey approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each of di Senate and House of Representatives. Breakdown of di proposed states NORTH-CENTRAL BENUE ALA STATE from Benue State. OKUN STATE from Kogi State OKURA STATE from Kogi State CONFLUENCE STATE from Kogi State APA-AGBA STATE from Benue South Senatorial District APA STATE from Benue State. A 37th state, wey dem go name FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA NORTH-EAST AMANA STATE from Adamawa State. KATAGUM STATE from Bauchi State. SAVANNAH STATE from Borno State. MURI STATE from Taraba State. NORTH-WEST NEW KADUNA STATE and GURARA STATE from Kaduna State. TIGA STATE from Kano State. KAINJI STATE from Kebbi State. GHARI STATE from Kano State SOUTH-EAST ETITI STATE go be di sixth state for di South East geopolitical zone. ADADA STATE from Enugu State. URASHI STATE from South East geopolitical zone. ORLU STATE from di South Eastern Region of Nigeria. ABA STATE from the South Eastern Region of Nigeria. SOUTH-SOUTH OGOJA STATE from Cross River State. WARRI STATE from Delta State. BORI STATE from Rivers State. OBOLO STATE from Rivers and Akwa Ibom States. SOUTH-WEST TORU-EBE STATE from Delta, Edo, and Ondo States. IBADAN STATE from Oyo State. LAGOON STATE from Lagos State. IJEBU STATE from Ogun State. OKE-OGUN from Ogun State IFE-IJESHA from Oyo, and Osun states. Nigeria need more states? Di simple answer na "no we no need more states", according to Dr Bello Maisudan, a lecturer for di Department of Political Science for Bayero University, Kano. Oga Maisudan explain say state creation suppose dey based on four things: demand, population, land size, and self sufficiency. On demand, Maisudan tok say pipo fit call for a new state maybe bicos of percived marginalisation by a majority ethnic group or inter-ethnic conflicts. Examples according to am na Nasarawa State wey dem create out of Plateau State and Bayelsa wey come out of Rivers State. Also, di size of di land by area as well as di population of a place na anoda tin to consider bifor creating a new state. Of course, di proposed new states, if created, suppose dey able to sustain itself and not to dey rely on federal allocation. "If you consider dis four factors, you go agree wit me say we no need new states. Even di 36 states wey we get now, how many of dem meet di criteria, especially di ability to sustain diasef witout di support of di federal goment?" Dr Maisudan ask. "In my opinion, if new states go dey created, e no suppose dey more dan five more, considering oda factors such as population and di complain of marginalisation of small ethnic groups by di majority ones." Oga Maisudan say even though some benefits dey from creating more states, di disadvantages pass di advantages. Some of di disadvantages according to am na e go add more to di cost of governance especially bicos some of di existing states need support from di federal goment to sustain diasef. Anoda one be say, e fit increase di agitation for separation from di kontri.
