Dozens of House of Representative members are calling for the amendment of the 1999 Nigeria constitution to transition from the presidential to parliamentary system of government in which the political party with the most elected lawmakers selects the prime minister or chancellor to lead the country’s affairs.
The lawmakers are led by the member representing Lagos State under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Wale Raji.
The idea for the parliamentary system, according to Mr Raji and the 59 lawmakers, was born out of the necessity to cut back on government operations and spending and develop significant policies that will better the lives of citizens.
“We stand on the cusp of history, as lawmakers across party affiliations and regional backgrounds come together to present bills proposing constitutional alterations that seek a transition to a parliamentary system of government,” Abdussamad Dasuki said on Wednesday.
“That was the governance system of the First Republic, a period when legislative and executive powers were exercised by the representatives of the people in parliament and the executive, and by the nature of the system, these representatives were accountable to the people.”
