House of Reps Members Propose Parliamentary System in Nigeria

Sixty members of the House of Representatives have introduced a bill aimed at amending Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution to transition the country from its current presidential system to a parliamentary one.

Led by Wale Raji, a legislator representing Lagos State under the All Progressives Congress, the bill received its inaugural reading in the House of Representatives.

The lawmakers highlighted the need to streamline government expenditure and foster more robust policy deliberations as primary motivations for advocating the return to a parliamentary framework.

Excel Magazine International reports that a fundamental contrast between the two systems lies in the mode of leadership selection.

While a presidential system entails direct election of the president by the populace, a parliamentary system grants supreme authority to the legislature, which in turn selects a prime minister from its ranks to serve as the head of government.

Also, a distinguishing feature of the parliamentary system is the absence of a strict separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches, as ministers are typically appointed from within the parliament.

Should the bill secure passage, its enactment into law and subsequent inclusion in the Constitution would necessitate presidential assent.

However, in the event of presidential non-approval, the National Assembly retains the option to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote.