House of reps members propose change from presidential to parliamentary system

60 members of the House of Representatives members on Wednesday, February 14, proposed a bill to amend the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and return the country to a parliamentary system as a replacement for the current presidential system.

The bill was prominently sponsored by Wale Raji, an All Progressives Congress lawmaker from Lagos State. 

Lawmakers who threw their weight in support of the bill claimed that a parliamentary system of government will reduce the cost of governance as well as favour robust policy debates. 

While in the presidential system, the president is directly elected by the people, in the parliamentary system, the legislature is supreme and elects a prime minister from among its members as the head of government.

There is also no clear separation of powers between the legislature and the executive because ministers are also appointed by parliament.

The bill will require the assent of the president to become law and be enshrined in the Constitution.