60 Lawmakers propose shift from presidential to parliamentary system of government

Sixty members of the House of Representatives have just introduced a bill to change the Nigerian Constitution.

The lawmakers are proposing to switch from the current presidential system to a parliamentary system of government.

Wale Raji, a lawmaker from Lagos State in the All Progressives Congress, was a prominent sponsor of the bill, which was read for the first time in the House of Representatives.

According to the lawmakers, reasons for wanting to switch to the parliamentary system is to cut down on government costs and have more lively policy debates.

One of the most significant differences between these two systems is that in a presidential system, the president is directly elected by the people, whereas in a 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, if passed, will however require the assent of the president to become law and be enshrined in the Constitution.

If the president declines to assent, the National Assembly can override his veto with the votes of two-thirds of the members.