Lawmakers seek change from presidential system of government to a Parliamentary system

No fewer than 60 members of the House of Representatives are proposing an amendment to the nation’s 1999 Constitution for the adoption of a parliamentary system of government to replace the existing presidential system.

On Wednesday, Wale Raji, a lawmaker from Lagos and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), suggested doing away with the current presidential system in favour of a parliamentary one in which the political party with the most elected lawmakers selects the prime minister or chancellor to lead the country’s affairs.

This system of government is practised in the UK, Germany and a few other countries.

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.

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,” Abdussamad Dasuki said on Wednesday.

The lawmakers said they were not clamouring for an immediate transition to parliamentary but hoped that by 2031, the nation would have adopted the system.