Members of the House of Representatives are pushing to restore Nigeria’s parliamentary system of government. A bill to establish the Office of the Prime Minister as the head of government, alongside the Office of the President as the ceremonial head of state, has passed its second reading in the House.
This bill is one of 32 constitutional amendment proposals approved by the lawmakers during a plenary session on Thursday, March 27, presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
The legislation, sponsored by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda and 59 other lawmakers, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to introduce a parliamentary framework, transferring executive authority from the President to a Prime Minister elected by the legislature.
The bill is titled: “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.”
This proposed shift would mark a return to Nigeria’s previous system, which was in place during the First Republic. Under that system, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa served as Prime Minister, and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe held the ceremonial role of President. The parliamentary system, which lasted until the 1966 military coup, saw executive power resting with the Prime Minister, who was selected from the majority party in Parliament, while the President served as the ceremonial Head of State.
In addition to the Prime Minister bill, several other constitutional amendments passed second reading on Thursday. These include a bill to reserve specific seats for women in the National Assembly and state houses of assembly, as well as a proposal to shorten the time for resolving pre-election petitions and establish pre-election tribunals.
Another bill seeks to revise the eligibility requirements for candidates running for President, Vice-President, Governor, and Deputy Governor. Additionally, a proposal to review the Federal Capital Territory’s role in presidential elections and the creation of Wan State and Gobir State also passed second reading.
