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Prohibition of same sex bill passes second reading in House of Reps

A bill for an Act to prohibit marriage or civil union entered into between persons of same sex and solemnisation of same on Tuesday passed … Continue reading Prohibition of same sex bill passes second reading in House of Reps


A bill for an Act to prohibit marriage or civil union entered into between persons of same sex and solemnisation of same on Tuesday passed through the second reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill, which passed without a dissenting voice, had previously been passed by the senate.

Speaking on the bill, lawmakers said the notion of same sex marriage is an alien culture that must be preventing from taking root in Nigeria.

Leading the debate on the bill, Mulikat Akande-Adeola (PDP-Oyo), said the proposed legislation would ensure that the institution of marriage is respected.

Ms Akande-Adeola, who is the Leader of the House, said that the bill would also protect and preserve the Nigerian culture.

She said: “This same sex marriage is alien to our culture and not ordained by God; same sex or gender marriage is completely alien to our society and culture.

“This practice has no place in our culture, religion, Nigeria or anywhere in Africa, it is immorality and debasement of our culture, we condemn it in totality.”

Adams Jagaba (PDP-Kaduna) aligned himself with the submission of the Majority Leader and said no religion supports gay marriage.
“We are a cultured people; we cannot carry everything from other culture,” he declared.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa (ACN-Lagos), who also supported the bill, said the solemnisation of same sex marriage had no place in Nigerian culture.
Nnenna Ukeje (PDP-Abia) condemned gay marriage.

According to her, marriage is a union that should be blessed by God.

She said that marriage between same sex “diminishes the symbol of what we are and procreation.”

Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN-Lagos), who also spoke against marriage between the same sex, described the act as immoral.

“In this marriage, the third party is affected, these people go ahead and adopt children, thereby affecting the child, and in the process the child becomes dysfunctional.

“We are not seeking to promote a dysfunctional society,” he said.

Aminu Suleiman (PDP-Kano) praised the Senate for taking the initiative in rejecting gay marriage in Nigeria.

There was no dissenting voice and the bill passed through second reading after being put to vote by the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal.
Mr Tambuwal subsequently referred it to the Committee of the Whole House for consideration.

The Senate had in November 2011 passed a bill banning same sex marriages in the country.