JUST IN: House of Reps Moves to Establish Prime Minister’s Office

The House of Representatives has taken a significant step toward restructuring Nigeria’s government by advancing a bill to create the office of the Prime Minister as head of government and the President as head of state. The bill, which proposes amendments to the 1999 Constitution, passed its second reading on Thursday.

The proposed legislation is among 32 constitutional amendment bills that cleared this stage in the House. Another key bill seeks to allocate specific seats for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly, aiming to increase female representation in governance.

Also among the bills is an amendment to shorten the duration for resolving pre-election petition matters. The bill proposes the establishment of pre-election tribunals to handle such cases efficiently and regulate the suspension process for National Assembly members.

Further amendments under consideration include a review of eligibility criteria for the offices of President, Vice President, Governor, and Deputy Governor. Additionally, a bill addressing the status of the Federal Capital Territory in relation to presidential elections has advanced. Proposals for the creation of Wan State and Gobir State have also moved forward.

With these additions, the total number of constitutional amendment bills that have passed second reading in the House now stands at 113.