President Bola Tinubu is anticipated to receive a transformative bill next week that advocates a transition to a regional governance framework in Nigeria.
This comes after the House of Representatives refuted claims associated with an online draft of the bill.
Entitled ‘A Bill for an Act to substitute the annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a new governance model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, the proposed legislation, also known as “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024,” seeks to establish a federal/regional system reflective of the populace’s will.
“Whereas Nigeria, its peoples and government have been governed under Decree 24 of 1999 that was handed down by the then military government without the express consent of the people despite the preamble of ‘We, the people.’
“Whereas the said Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is not autochthonous as it does not evolve from the deliberations and consensus of the Nigerian People; whereas the peoples of Nigeria now desire and effectively demand for a change to a constitution based on federal/regional system of government.
“Whereas the federal and regional governments are to operate within the provisions of this Constitution, it is within the discretion of the ethnic blocs within the states that constitutes a given region to aggregate or disaggregate as provinces, divisions and districts, while being in control of their affairs without let or hindrance at whatever level of governance”
Despite the buzz, the House has confirmed that the bill is not presently under committee scrutiny, as clarified by spokesperson Akin Rotimi and chairman of Rules and Business, Francis Waive.
Nonetheless, the bill’s proponent, Akin Fapohunda, has opted to bypass parliamentary engagement and instead present the bill directly to President Tinubu, who may then introduce it to the legislature as an executive bill.
