Nigeria: Federal senate backs plans to reduce power of presidency

Nigeria’s upper house of parliament backed a series of constitutional amendments on Wednesday that could weaken the presidency and boost the legislature.

The head of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who is pushing the changes, said they would help boost Nigeria’s development, however, a senior official in the Buhari administration said they amounted to “a very unhealthy” power grab.

Saraki has been tipped as a possible eventual successor to the ailing Buhari, 74, who is currently on medical leave.

“What we have done today definitely is to lay the foundation for a far-reaching reform of our political, economic and social development,” Saraki said after the Senate vote.
The amendments must still be approved by the lower house and two thirds of Nigeria’s 36 regional state parliaments and then be signed off by the president.

The measures include reducing the president’s ability to withhold assent for a bill passed by parliament, and removing law-making powers from the executive.
The Senate also voted to impose time limits on key presidential decisions such as nominating ministers and proposing federal budgets, both of which have been much-delayed under Buhari.

Nigeria’s federal budget both last year and this were only signed into law after many delays, often caused by battles between the parliament and the presidency over the allocation of federal funds to key projects.

A senior administration official, who declined to be named because not authorized to speak to the media on the matter, criticized the Senate’s move.

“The executive sees this development as very unhealthy because laws should be made for the overall interest of the nation and not some people or an arm of government wanting to aggregate more powers to themselves,” the official said.
The lower chamber, the House of Representatives, is due to vote on the proposed amendments on Thursday.

Saraki, 54, hails from Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) party, but he assumed the Senate presidency in 2015 without the party’s support but with the backing of the opposition. As Senate leader – constitutionally the 3rd most powerful position in the country after the president and vice-president – he has proven a nimble political operator. Despite numerous accusations of misconduct and investigations, none have stuck to him.

Saraki has also criticized Buhari for allowing power to be concentrated among the president’s chief of staff and an inner circle at the presidential villa.

Source: Reuters