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A bill to return Nigeria to a parliamentary system of government passed its second reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday. This legislation would establish the Prime Minister as the Head of Government and the President as the Head of State.
Sponsored by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda and 59 others, the bill aims to amend the 1999 Constitution to transfer executive authority from the President to a Prime Minister elected by the legislature.
Previously, Nigeria operated under a parliamentary system during the First Republic, with Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as ceremonial President until the 1966 military coup.
In February 2024, about 60 House members, led by Lagos State lawmaker Wale Raji, proposed this shift to lower government costs and foster better policy debates. They support adopting a parliamentary system at the federal, state, and local government levels.
