By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

As criticisms continue to trail the alleged attempt to smuggle-in sharia law into the nation’s Constitution, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, yesterday said it was not true that sharia law had been introduced into the Constitution through the back door.

Dogara specifically said that there was nothing like sharia law being smuggled into the Constitution as alleged.   Instead, the Speaker said, a member introduced clauses which sought to include criminal aspects of Sharia in the constitution.He explained that the clause had been referred to the Special Adhoc Committee on the Review of the Constitution, adding that no such bill has yet emanated from the Committee.

Speaking at a reception organised in his honour alongside Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir David Lawal, by the Northern Nigerian Christian Politicians in Abuja, Dogara, refuted reports alleging that the House has before it a Sharia bill.

According to a statement issued by the Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, on the controversial introduction of sharia law in the constitution, he  maintained that by the provisions of the standing rules of the House, bills on constitution amendment were referred to the Special Adhoc Committee on the Review of the Constitution which has the sole prerogative to introduce constitutional amendment bills in the House.

The speaker, who took time to explain the rigorous and cumbersome processes of amending the Constitution to the gathering, added that before such a bill could be passed into law, at least two-third  of members of the National Assembly would have to vote yes to it before it will be transmitted to the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly for endorsement.

He further explained that voting on such clauses were done with individual members   voting for or against each clause before it will be passed and that if any clause failed in either of the two chambers, such amendment was considered “dead” and as such would not be voted upon by the other chamber as doing so will amount to waste of time and an exercise in futility.