Section 54 and 55 of the 1999 Constitution: Quorum and Language of National Assembly

Quorum

The 1999 Constitution

Section 54 (1)

The quorum of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall be one-third of all the members on of the Legislative House concerned

(For a meeting of the House of Representatives or Senate to hold, there must be present at least one-third of all its members.

A quorum can be defined as the minimum number of members of an assembly or society that must be present at any of its meetings to make the proceedings of that meeting valid.)


Section 54 (2)

The quorum of a joint sitting of both the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall be one-third of all the members of both Houses

(When both houses; House of Representatives and Senate, are conducting a joint meeting, the quorum shall be one-third of members of both houses.)


Section 54 (3)

If objection is taken by any member of the Senate or the House of Representatives present that there are present in the House of which he is a member (besides the person presiding fewer than one-third of all the members of that House and that it is not competent for the House to transact business, and after such interval as may be prescribed in the rules of procedure of the House, the person presiding ascertains that the number of members present is still less than one-third of all the members of the House he shall adjourn the House.

(When there is a dispute about quorum in either the Senate or House of Representatives, an interval as allowed in the rules of the House shall be observed, then a head count done and if there is still less than a quorum, the House shall be adjourned.)


Section 54 (4)

The foregoing provisions of this section shall apply in relation to a joint sitting of both Houses of the National Assembly as they apply in relation to a House of the National Assembly as if references to the Senate or the House of Representatives and a member of either Houses are references to both Houses and to any member of the National Assembly, respectively.

(The same procedure in the previous section shall apply to a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.)


Section 55

The business of the National Assembly shall be conducted in English, and in Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba when adequate arrangements have been made therefore.

(Sessions in the National Assembly shall be conducted in English. Also sessions can be conducted in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba when arrangements (for interpreters etc) have been made.)

Section 52 and 53 of the 1999 Constitution: Procedure for summoning and dissolution of National Assembly

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