Bill to Purportedly Return Nigeria to Regional Government Non-existent With Us -National Assembly

National Assembly Debunks Alleged Bill Proposing Return to Nigeria to Regional Government 

The National Assembly has debunked a report circulating on social media, purportedly suggesting that the Senate is working on a new bill to revert Nigeria to a regional system of government.

Open Television Naija reports that the regional government bill filtered into the social media landscape barely 72 hours after a bill to revert the country to adopt the old national anthem was passed by the legislative arm of government.

The bill in question, purportedly 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,” has generated a cacophony of reactions among Nigerians and the teeming population of netizens since its break on social media with many online newspapers reportedly flying the story that plans were underway to reintroduce a regional government system in Nigeria, and that the bill was expected to be passed into law before October 1, 2024.

 Social media sources had it that the draft bill proposes a landmark restructuring of Nigeria’s governance system.

Open Television Naija recalls that of a truth, regional government, which was initially practised by the country was eradicated some 58 years ago, following the May 1966 coup led by General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi who emerged as Nigeria’s first military head of state and promulgated the infamous Decree No. 34 of 1966, the “unification decree.” The decree effectively did away with the federal system of government practised by Nigeria since its independence from British colonial rule in 1960. In its place, the general instituted a unitary system of government as a way of discouraging “tribal loyalties and activities which promote tribal consciousness and sectional interests and which must give way to the urgent task of national reconstruction.” The decree suspended aspects of the Nigerian constitution and, with it, successive military governments in the country arrogated to themselves wide discretionary powers.

Ultimately, the country adopted a presidential system in 1979, which has been in place ever since. 

The prospects of returning to regional system has therefore sparked intense debate about the potential political and administrative implications.

However, spokespersons for both the Senate and the house of Representatives, in separate media chats with the press have firmly debunked the existence of any such bill on the floor of the legislative chambers, noting that the chambers operate with utmost transparency in their proceedings

 “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. In which order has such been reflected?”, a spokesperson of the Senate had said.

Similarly, the spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi dismissed the claims in an interview with ThePunch newspaper, confirming that the committees responsible for rules and business, as well as constitution review, had no knowledge of the bill. “The committees on rules and business and constitution review have confirmed that there is no such bill before them,” Rotimi stated.

With both legislative houses of the National Assembly denying the existence of any such bill on its floor, the rumoured bill to revert to regional government has been debunked, but the tempo of curiosity and speculations by many Nigerians, who are trying to decipher the origins of the purported draft bill and the motives behind its circulation may not die down any time soon.