The House of Representatives has progressed with deliberations on multiple constitutional amendment bills, including a proposal to reintroduce a parliamentary system of government in Nigeria.
On Thursday, lawmakers passed the bill for an Act to establish the Office of the Prime Minister as Head of Government and the President as Head of State through a second reading. This legislative effort, championed by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda and 59 co-sponsors, aims to transition Nigeria from the current presidential system, citing cost-effectiveness and historical precedents.
The push for parliamentary governance gained momentum in 2024 when 60 legislators across party lines engaged key stakeholders, including the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar III, and former Ahmadu Bello University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, to rally support. Advocates argue that Nigeria experienced significant progress under the First Republic’s parliamentary framework.
Beyond this, lawmakers are considering additional bills addressing election reforms and governance structures. Among them is a proposal to amend the mode of electing state governors and their deputies while reviewing the appointment process for state commissioners. Another bill seeks to establish pre-election tribunals to expedite dispute resolution.
The House is also debating a bill to regulate the suspension of elected National Assembly members, following the recent six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan after a contentious exchange with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Additionally, lawmakers advanced legislation seeking to alter the threshold for electing the President and state governors, grant the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly the authority to summon the President and governors for questioning on security and governance matters, transfer the registration and regulation of political parties from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Office of the Registrar General of Political Parties, and establish clear timelines for the presentation of the national budget.
In a related development, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu reiterated the March 31, 2025, deadline for legislators proposing state creation bills, emphasizing compliance with constitutional requirements. Currently, 30 new state proposals are under review, though none have met the necessary legal threshold.
All constitutional amendment bills will be forwarded to the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Kalu, for further scrutiny.
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