A bill proposing the re-establishment of regional government in Nigeria is currently under review by the National Assembly and is expected to become law by October 1, 2024.
The draft bill, circulating on social media and reported by SaharaReporters, is titled “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 identities of the sponsors of the bill remain unknown, but once passed, the bill will be cited as the “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.”
The bill’s sponsors argue that the current Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, established in 1999 and subsequently amended, lacks “autochthony,” meaning it does not originate from the deliberations and consensus of the Nigerian people.
Advocates for the bill propose that the amendment should be decided by a “yes or no” referendum by the citizens of Nigeria.
The draft bill, as observed on Friday, includes the following preliminary statements:
Nigeria has been governed under Decree 24 of 1999, which was implemented by the military government without the explicit consent of the populace, despite the preamble stating “We the people.”
The 1999 Constitution (as amended) is not autochthonous as it did not result from the consensus of the Nigerian people.
There is now a demand from the people of Nigeria for a constitution based on a Federal/Regional system of government.
Federal and Regional governments will operate under this new constitution, allowing ethnic blocs within the states to organize themselves into Provinces, Divisions, and Districts, managing their affairs independently at various levels of governance.
The 1999 Constitution, originally a military decree, is now deemed an Act of the National Assembly, which has the authority to amend or repeal it as necessary.
The National Assembly can use the doctrine of necessity to resolve any legal issues for the country’s good governance.
In the Substitution Clause (PART II), the drafters propose that the National Assembly should use its powers to remove the schedule attached to Decree 24 of 1999, often referred to as the 1999 Constitution (as amended), from the decree. This schedule, now considered an Act of the National Assembly, can be replaced with a new governance model for Nigeria, effective no later than October 1, 2024. This amendment would be subject to a referendum by the Nigerian people.
Regarding the governance structure (PART III), the bill proposes:
Nigeria will be a Federation composed of Regional Territories and a Federal Capital Territory, known as the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The territorial jurisdiction of Nigeria will include the territories of the Regional members of the Federation, with boundaries determined by international agreements.
The bill also outlines the basis of the Federation:
Every Ethnic Nationality and People in Nigeria has an unconditional right to self-determination within their delineated territories.
The sovereignty, powers, and authority to reform the Central Federal Government of Nigeria lie jointly and severally with all ethnic nationalities within their respective territories.
Every Ethnic Nationality and People in Nigeria has the right to full self-government, including establishing governmental institutions in their territories and ensuring equitable representation in the Federal and Regional Governments.
For this Constitution, an “Ethnic Nationality or People” is defined as a group sharing a common culture, similar customs, mutually intelligible language, common or related identities, and a common psychological makeup, inhabiting a specific territory.
