Bill to Return Nigeria to Parliamentary Era Gains Prominence In NASS
- The House of Representatives has passed to the second reading a bill to return Nigeria to a parliamentary system of government
- This was part of the 31 constitutional amendment bills that passed the second reading during the plenary on Thursday, March 27
- The bill was proposed by Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader of the House of Representatives and 59 other lawmakers
The House of Representatives on Thursday, March 27, passed the bill seeking to return Nigeria to the parliamentary system of government for second reading.
The bill was one of the 31 constitutional amendment bills that passed the second reading during the plenary, which was presided over by Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the deputy speaker of the house.
Reps have passed a bill to change Nigeria to a parliamentary system of government
Photo Credit: @HouseNGRSource: Twitter
Is Nigeria returning to a parliamentary system?
According to Vanguard, “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Provide for the Office of the Prime Minister as Head of Government and the Office of President as Head of State and to Provide for a Framework for the Mode of Election to the Said Offices and for Related Matters (HB.1115).”
Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader of the House of Representatives and 59 other lawmakers were the sponsors of the bill.
If the bill made it through, the bill would change Nigeria’s current presidential system to that of a parliamentary system. The executive power will be carried out by the prime minister elected by the legislature, while the president will only be a ceremonial head of state.
How many lawmakers want to change Nigerian system
On February 14, 2024, 60 lawmakers introduced three bills which proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution to move Nigeria from a presidential to a parliamentary system by 2031.
One of the proposed bill stated that presidential and gubernatorial candidates should not be older than 60 years as of the time of contesting for the positions. It further stated that interested candidates for such positions must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in their area of study.
The proposal was to amend Section 131 of the Nigerian constitution, as it introduces an age limit for the presidency, and Section 177, which talks about the requirement for gubernatorial candidates.
Other bills proposed in the National Assembly
There was another bill which sought to create the Ideato West Local Government Area. The proposal was to create additional local government in Imo state to promote administrative and developmental efforts.
Also, another bill mandated the inclusion of youths and persons with disabilities in political appointments. This was also sponsored by Ugochinyere, and it was targeted at ensuring inclusiveness in governance by reserving positions for young people and persons with disabilities.
Barau mentions new state to be created from Katsina
TheTalk.NG earlier reported that deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau has vowed to work with Senator Muntari Dan-Dutse to see to the establishment of a new ‘Karaduwa’ state.
Barau noted that the agitation of the Karaduwa people was welcome, saying the people were agrarian and had everything to gain with this move.
According to Barau, the creation of a new state would be apt, adding that it would bring meaningful development to people in that region of Katsina.
Source: TheTalk.NG
