The Non-Governmental Organizations Regulatory Commission (Establishment) Bill has suffered its first major setback, recording zero support during Wednesday’s public hearing at the House of Representatives.

The bill, which was introduced by Umar Buba Jibril in June 2016, had passed the first and second readings despite several protests by NGOs.

At the hearing on Wednesday, Peter Akpatason, Chairman of the House Committee on Civil Society Organisations and Development Partners, asked the audience whether anyone supported the bill but no one answered in the affirmative.

Outside the national assembly complex, a crowd of protesters comprising members of the civil society and NGOs bore placards and chanted songs urging the House to kick out the bill.

Speaking at the hearing, Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, said he decided to lend his voice to the call for the withdrawal of the NGO bill because he was convinced that there are existing laws that already captured everything the bill seeks to achieve.

“I stand with civil society very firmly,” Kukah said. “We have enough laws already to cover every sphere of the country.

“The intentions might be right but I think we can channel our energy to other things.

“Without civil society, democracy will be in danger in Nigeria. We have so many laws covering what this bill is seeking to do.”

The NGO bill has been roundly criticised by many Nigerians who believe it was a sinister move by the legislature to gag civil society organisations.

Among the major opponents of the bill is Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), who has written extensively and produced video clips to sensitise Nigerians on the dangers of allowing the bill get passed into law.

Akpatason promised that his committee would make its recommendations to the House in plenary without prejudice.