The National Assembly has disowned a widely circulated draft bill proposing a return to a regional system of government in Nigeria. The bill, 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,” was reportedly drafted by Akin Fapohunda, a private citizen and former director in the Presidency. Nigeria operated a regional system of government after gaining independence in 1960. This system was replaced by a presidential system in 1979 following a period of military rule and has remained in place since then.
On Friday, the National Assembly clarified that the purported bill is not under consideration. Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate’s spokesperson, stated, “Such a bill is not with us. And who is sponsoring the bill? The National Assembly plenary is always held openly with the media in the chambers.” Similarly, Akin Rotimi, the spokesperson for the House of Representatives, confirmed that the bill has not been presented to the relevant committees.
Akin Fapohunda, the drafter of the bill, explained his motivation, citing a recent decision by the President to revert to the old national anthem. He believes revisiting past governance structures could be beneficial. “I have done a preliminary draft for Nigerians to ponder over. Next week, I will be seeing my representative in the House of Representatives. We hope that senators and House members can embrace this modest proposal for a change,” Fapohunda stated. Despite the buzz on social media, the National Assembly has distanced itself from the draft bill advocating a return to regional governance, emphasizing that it is not currently under review or consideration.
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