Former President Jonathan Reflects on National Assembly’s Role in Key Legislative Milestones

At the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board’s Champions of Nigerian Content Awards Dinner in Yenagoa, former President Goodluck Jonathan praised the National Assembly’s legislative prowess during his tenure, emphasizing its capacity to override presidential vetoes on important bills.

Jonathan, who received the Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award, reminisced about the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Bill, sponsored by Senator Lee Maeba and colleagues. “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,” he said. “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.”

He further recalled the Assembly’s boldness in passing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) bill despite President Obasanjo’s initial veto. “In 2000, the NDDC bill was also vetoed by the National Assembly. They overrode President Obasanjo’s refusal,” Jonathan noted.

Highlighting Nigeria’s unique legislative process, he explained, “Typically, in other countries, it is the President who vetoes bills. But in Nigeria, during the law-making process, it is the National Assembly that can exercise the veto. 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.”

Jonathan expressed appreciation for the Assembly’s vibrancy and the efforts of lawmakers like Lee Maeba, which led to the successful enactment of critical legislation.