The Nigerian Constitution at Section 29 states:
(1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration prescribed manner for the renunciation.
It goes on at Section 4 to state:
(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.
(a) "full age" means the age of eighteen years and above;
(b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.
The Senate amendment committee had sought to delete Section 29 (4) b, thus clearing up any confusion as to whether a day old child could be considered by law of age, simply by the act of marriage. In short to define clearly that 18 was the minimum age.
The amendment went through at the first vote (acquiring the requisite 2/3rd majority for constitutional amendment). However Senator Yerima fillibustered stating that the status quo- which believe it or not -allowed for under-aged marriage was in line with Nigeria's religious diversity and any attemp to to delete it, would serve to discriminate against Muslim's whose religion - he said- permits them to marry a woman even aged 8 or 9 years old.
After an argument with the Senate President, who initially refused his request, since it was clearly against Parliamentary rules, the amendment bill was put to a re-vote.
People are actually arguing and saying this is not what it obviously is. Section 29(4)b essentially provides that a woman is deemed to be of age as long as she is married. The Senate wanted it out because it basically gave some people the right to deem a 4 year old to be of age. Thanks to Yerima the only thing that's clear now is a child can be married and automatically she will be of age.
(1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration prescribed manner for the renunciation.
It goes on at Section 4 to state:
(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.
(a) "full age" means the age of eighteen years and above;
(b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.
The Senate amendment committee had sought to delete Section 29 (4) b, thus clearing up any confusion as to whether a day old child could be considered by law of age, simply by the act of marriage. In short to define clearly that 18 was the minimum age.
The amendment went through at the first vote (acquiring the requisite 2/3rd majority for constitutional amendment). However Senator Yerima fillibustered stating that the status quo- which believe it or not -allowed for under-aged marriage was in line with Nigeria's religious diversity and any attemp to to delete it, would serve to discriminate against Muslim's whose religion - he said- permits them to marry a woman even aged 8 or 9 years old.
After an argument with the Senate President, who initially refused his request, since it was clearly against Parliamentary rules, the amendment bill was put to a re-vote.
People are actually arguing and saying this is not what it obviously is. Section 29(4)b essentially provides that a woman is deemed to be of age as long as she is married. The Senate wanted it out because it basically gave some people the right to deem a 4 year old to be of age. Thanks to Yerima the only thing that's clear now is a child can be married and automatically she will be of age.
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