According to Saturday PUNCH, a bill proposing a return to a regional system of government in Nigeria will be sent to President Bola Tinubu next week. This follows recent developments where the House of Representatives disavowed a draft bill that had been widely circulated online.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to substitute the annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with new governance model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” aims to introduce new laws under the title “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.”
The bill’s preliminary statements include the following points:
Nigeria has been governed under Decree 24 of 1999, implemented by the then military government without explicit consent from the populace, despite the preamble stating “We, the people.”
The current 1999 Constitution (as amended) is not autochthonous, meaning it did not originate from the discussions and consensus of the Nigerian people.
The people of Nigeria now seek a constitution that reflects a federal/regional system of government.
Under the proposed constitution, both federal and regional governments will operate within its provisions, allowing ethnic blocs within states to organize themselves into provinces, divisions, and districts, managing their affairs independently at various levels of governance.
Despite inquiries, the House of Representatives distanced itself from the bill. House spokesman Akin Rotimi and Chairman of Rules and Business Francis Waive stated that the proposed legislation was not under committee consideration.
However, Dr. Akin Fapohunda, the drafter of the private bill, mentioned on Friday that he plans to submit the proposed law directly to President Tinubu.
Fapohunda had previously indicated his intention to engage with National Assembly members before formally transmitting the bill. He hopes that President Tinubu will present the bill to the parliament as an executive bill.
