Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun has said the lower chamber will debate on power devolution again.

Both the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly had voted against devolution of power during the constitutional amendment.

In an interview with journalists in his hometown in Osun, Lasun said the lawmakers who voted against it were in the minority.

He said if simple majority had been used, those who voted in support would have won.

He added that 220 lawmakers voted in support of power devolution, 20 votes short of the required approval.

He argued that the lawmakers, who voted against the provision, did so because their constituents did not instruct them to support it during the public hearings.

Lasun added, “Those who don’t want devolution of power are in the minority.

“We would have won if it was by simple majority. Someone asked me why I am supporting devolution of power when I know that I am contesting to be governor in my state and I told him that I am not contesting to sit over the local government money.  States will be relieved of burden once the local governments have more power.

“Devolution of power failed because members of the public did not show interest in what we were doing. If they did, they would have discouraged those lawmakers, who voted against it, from doing that.

“But the good news is that we will revisit it when we resume. We are going back to it when we resume.”

Azeez