The President has no power to restructure Nigeria – Lawyer

An Abuja-based legal practitioner, Hameed Ajibola Jimoh, has
stated that the president does not have the constitutional powers
to commence the process of restructuring Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in his nationwide broadcast
referred Nigerians calling for the restructuring of the country to
the National Assembly and the Council of State, as the legitimate
and appropriate bodies for national discourse.

In a statement yesterday, Jimoh backed the president, explaining
that the matter is a constitutional issue, which requires
constitutional amendment by the National Assembly under the
doctrine of separation of powers.

He called on Nigerians to put pressure “on the person(s) or
body(ies) conferred with that power by either section 8 or 9 or
both sections of the constitution, so that the agitations for the
restructuring will be in conformity with the provisions of the
constitution.”

He stated that the provisions of Section 4 of the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, divides legislative
powers between the National Assembly for the federation and the
House of Assembly for the state in the exclusive and concurrent
legislative lists.

“It then means that the current situation whereby the Senate –
an arm of the two arms of the legislature – rejected devolution of
powers to state governments is a mistake and misunderstanding and
hindrance to the restructuring of Nigeria mantra.

“It is believed that the current situation of the country
testifies to the fact that it is in the national interest to do so.
However, it is suggested that necessary machinery should be
institutionalised to avoid an abuse of those powers as ‘power
corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely’,” he said.

.dailytrust

An Abuja-based legal practitioner, Hameed Ajibola Jimoh, has
stated that the president does not have the constitutional powers
to commence the process of restructuring Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in his nationwide broadcast
referred Nigerians calling for the restructuring of the country to
the National Assembly and the Council of State, as the legitimate
and appropriate bodies for national discourse.

In a statement yesterday, Jimoh backed the president, explaining
that the matter is a constitutional issue, which requires
constitutional amendment by the National Assembly under the
doctrine of separation of powers.

He called on Nigerians to put pressure “on the person(s) or
body(ies) conferred with that power by either section 8 or 9 or
both sections of the constitution, so that the agitations for the
restructuring will be in conformity with the provisions of the
constitution.”

He stated that the provisions of Section 4 of the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, divides legislative
powers between the National Assembly for the federation and the
House of Assembly for the state in the exclusive and concurrent
legislative lists.

“It then means that the current situation whereby the Senate –
an arm of the two arms of the legislature – rejected devolution of
powers to state governments is a mistake and misunderstanding and
hindrance to the restructuring of Nigeria mantra.

“It is believed that the current situation of the country
testifies to the fact that it is in the national interest to do so.
However, it is suggested that necessary machinery should be
institutionalised to avoid an abuse of those powers as ‘power
corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely’,” he said.

.dailytrust