In a historic move, the House of Representatives has advanced a crucial bill aimed at restructuring Nigeria’s leadership framework, passing it through a second reading on Thursday. The proposed legislation seeks to establish the Office of the Prime Minister as Head of Government and the Office of the President as Head of State, a shift that could reshape the nation’s political landscape. This bold reform, backed by House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda and 59 co-sponsors, has sparked widespread discussions about the future of Nigeria’s governance model.
But the Prime Minister’s office isn’t the only hot topic on the table. The legislature is pushing for sweeping electoral reforms, with several other bills making significant strides in the legislative process. These include changes to the way State Governors and their deputies are elected, as well as how local government chairmen and vice-chairmen are chosen.
A key proposal aims to streamline the election process by introducing reforms for the office of the President and Governors, including a shift from a simple majority voting system. Similarly, there’s a push for faster resolution of pre-election petition matters, with the creation of specialized tribunals for this purpose, an effort triggered by the controversial six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Additionally, lawmakers are proposing more robust powers for the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. These bills would grant these bodies the ability to summon the President and State Governors to answer questions about national security or any other issue within their legislative scope.
In another move that could alter the political landscape, a bill has been introduced to strip the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its role in regulating political parties, transferring this responsibility to the Office of the Registrar General of Political Parties.
As part of ongoing legislative reforms, the House also passed a bill that would set clear timelines for presenting the national budget, further enhancing the country’s political efficiency.
In addition, the House is considering the creation of 30 new states, with a March 31, 2025 deadline for submitting requests for state creation, although none of these proposals currently meet the constitutional threshold.
As the legislative process unfolds, all constitutional amendments will be handed over to the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, for further examination and input.
The passage of these bills marks a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s journey toward political and electoral reform, one that could redefine the nation’s governance structure and the relationship between elected officials and the citizens they serve. Stay tuned for more updates as these transformative bills make their way through the legislative process!
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