Members of the House of Representatives Advocate Transition to Parliamentary System of Government

About 60 members of the House of Representatives are championing a move to amend the 1999 Constitution for a switch from the current presidential system to a parliamentary system of government. Led by Lagos State‘s lawmaker from the All Progressives Congress, Wale Raji, they argue in favor of reducing the cost of government and fostering robust policy debates.

Titled ‘The Bills proposing constitutional alterations for a transition to parliamentary system of government,’ the proposed amendment was introduced by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, and 59 other lawmakers during Wednesday’s plenary session at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

The bipartisan group of lawmakers from various party affiliations made the case for adopting a parliamentary system at the Federal, State, and Local Government levels.

Addressing a press conference at the National Assembly Complex, the spokesman for the proponents and member representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Constituency, Sokoto State, Abdulssamad Dasuki, highlighted that the move would have a significant impact on the country’s political landscape.

Dasuki emphasized, ‘Our founders, in their wisdom, chose the parliamentary system of government during the First Republic. This era saw legislative and executive powers wielded by representatives in parliament and the executive, fostering accountability to the people.’

The lawmakers further noted that under a parliamentary setup, there is enhanced coordination between the executive and the legislature, leading to increased legislative scrutiny and accountability of cabinet members to the populace.

The bill’s sponsors clarified that their advocacy for the constitutional amendment is grounded in prioritizing national interests above all other considerations.

Leader of the bill’s sponsors and the representative of Epe Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Wale Raji, acknowledged that while the journey towards achieving this transition might be lengthy, they aim to actualize their vision by no later than 2031.