(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorising such House to delegate
to a committee the power to decide whether a bill shall be passed into law or to
determine any matter which it is empowered to determine by resolution under the
provisions of this Constitution, but the committee may be authorised to make
recommendations to the House on any such matter.
63. The Senate and the House of Representatives shall each sit for a period of not less than one
hundred and eighty-one days in a year.
64. (1) The Senate and the House of Representatives shall each stand dissolved at the expiration of a
period of four years commencing from the date of the first sitting of the House.
(2) If the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved
and the President considers that it is not practicable to hold elections, the National
Assembly may by resolution extend the period of four years mentioned in subsection
(1) of this section from time to time but not beyond a period of six months at any one
time.
(3) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the person elected as the President
shall have power to issue a proclamation for the holding of the first session of the
National Assembly immediately after his being sworn in, or for its dissolution as
provided in this section.
C - Qualifications for Membership of National Assembly and Right of Attendance
65. (1) Subject to the provisions of section 66 of this Constitution, a person shall be qualified for
election as a member of:
(a) the Senate, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and
has attained the age of 35 years; and
(b) the House of Representatives, if he is a
citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 30
years;
(2) A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if:
(a) he has been educated up to at least School
Certificate level or its equivalent; and
(b) he is a member of a political party and is
sponsored by that party.
66. (1) No person shall be qualified for election to the Senate or the House of Representatives if:
(a) subject to the provisions of section 28 of this
Constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the
citizenship of a country other than Nigeria or,
except in such cases as may be prescribed by the
National Assembly, has made a declaration of
allegiance to such a country;
(b) under any law in force in any part of Nigeria,
he is adjudged to be a lunatic or otherwise
declared to be of unsound mind;
(c) he is under a sentence of death imposed on
him by any competent court of law or tribunal in
Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or fine for
an offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by
whatever name called) or any other offence
imposed on him by such a court or tribunal or
substituted by a competent authority for any
other sentence imposed on him by such a court;