“A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999

Members of the House of Representatives have been involved in intense arguments over “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Review the Description of Islamic Law in the Constitution and for Related Matters.”

The proposed law sponsored by Aliyu Bappa Misau (PDP, Bauchi) is targeted to expand the application of Islamic Law from personal matters to other civil issues including contract, company and international disputes.

House Of Reps In Heated Argument Over Bill To Include More Islamic Laws In Nigerian 1999 Constitution

House Of Reps In Heated Argument Over Bill To Include More Islamic Laws In Nigerian 1999 Constitution

The proposed law sponsored by Aliyu Bappa Misau (PDP, Bauchi) is targeted to expand the application of Islamic Law from personal matters to other civil issues including contract, company and international disputes.

He said Nigeria had witnessed major developments to warrant the amendments of the description to warrant the inclusion of other civil areas of the Muslim laws.

The lawmaker said: “The 1999 Consitution provides for Personal Islamic law. The Constitution did not envisage the dynamism and development coming into the country.

The constitution did not recognise Islamic Personal Law, Islamic Company Law. Islamic International Law and Islamic Public Law. In 2003, Jaiz Bank came up under commercial Islamic law, and in 2019, another bank, Tajbank.

“If you look at personal law, it only encompasses marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Therefore, what we are requiring is the removal of personnel in sections 24, 262, 277 and section 288. So that other relevant laws like Islamic commercial laws, Islamic company laws, and Islamic international law can have a place in the constitution.”

This bill generated a lot of arguments during the plenary session on Thursday. a large number of lawmakers from the Southern region were against it and urged the house to drop it. But the bill was supported by many northern lawmakers.