The Federal Government and the National Assembly on Wednesday eventually settled their legal tango over the amendment of the 1999 Constitution, as the two parties came up with a new deal.
The new deal was however okayed by a full panel of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Mahmud.
To that effect, the Federal Government filed a notice of discontinuance of the suit against the National Assembly before the Supreme Court.
It will be recalled that the apex court had on Monday advised the two parties to settle the constitutional dispute amicably within 48 hours.
At the report of the settlement on Wednesday, the apex court had stood the matter down for further consultation and reconvened at about 4pm to endorse the out-of-court deal that both parties settled for.
Counsel to the two parties in the suit, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) and Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), for the Federal Government and the National Assembly respectively, signed the settlement.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, represented by Ojo, had sued the federal lawmakers over their moves to override President Goodluck Jonathan’s veto of the amended constitution.
Jonathan rejected certain contentious amendments and returned the bill.
It was however gathered that both sides conceded to each other in the new deal.
Delivering its ruling, the apex court unanimously struck out the suit in pursuant to the settlement agreement presented by the partied and the notice of discontinuance filed by the plaintiff counsel.
The court hinged the striking out on Order 50, rule 3 of the Supreme Court.
Out of the seven major issues reportedly objected to by the Federal Fovernment, four were said to have been resolved in its favour, while three reportedly went in favour of the National Assembly.
The withdrawal of the suit is said to be one of the resolved issues.
Both parties also agreed that the provisions on Free Basic Education and Maternal Health Care Services should be expunged since other laws had provided for what they were meant to achieve.
It was one of the amendments challenged by the executive arm.
The issue of spending before the passage of budget is said to have gone the way of the National Assembly, among others.
The resolution of the controversy over the split the offices of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was said to be evenly split between the two warring factions.
While the Federal Government reportedly got one office to remain organic, the other was conceded to the lawmakers for a split.
Counsel to both parties however thanked the court for the advice on the out court of settlement.