Fact Check: Did President Tinubu Submit a Bill to the National Assembly to Return Nigeria to Regional Govt? 

Fact Check: Did President Tinubu Submit a Bill to the National Assembly to Return Nigeria to Regional Govt? 

A trending draft bill claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has submitted a legislative proposal to the National Assembly seeking to return the country to a regional government.

The bill, which is being circulated mostly on WhatsApp, comes as Southern and Northern Senators disagree over the agitation for Nigeria’s return to the regional form of government at the sidelines of a two-day retreat on the amendments to the 1999 constitution organised by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) in Kano.

The alleged draft bill header states, “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.”

Part of the text accompanying the photo shot of the front page of the bill reads partly, “Breaking News! An executive bill by President Tinubu has been submitted to the National Assembly!   

“A move that will pave the way for the return of the “Regional System” of government in Nigeria!  

“President Tinubu remains Nigeria’s bravest and boldest since records began!  Thanks, PBAT, Thank you for defending the Nigerian people!” 

The text emphasised that “with the new bill, we are getting to the depths of the nitty gritty of our national problem.

“President Tinubu remains undaunted and shall triumph ultimately!  He needs our collective support in this regard. God bless Nigeria!” the claim states. 

Meanwhile, at the retreat in Kano, Nigerian senators are sharply divided over the proposal to return to a regional form of government. Those from the north vehemently oppose it, while those from the south welcome it as a solution to improve the economy, tackle insecurity, and accelerate infrastructure development.

Northern Senators’ Concerns:

– Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi Central Senatorial District expressed strong opposition, citing the lack of development in his region during the previous regional government system.

– Senator Sani Musa, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, clarified that establishing zonal development commissions is not a step towards regionalism.

– Senator Muntari Dandutse from Katsina South Senatorial District emphasised the need for good governance and responsible resource management rather than regional government.

Southern Senators’ Views:

– Senator Abdulfatai Buhari from Oyo North Senatorial District argued that regional government would allow regions to harness their resources and reduce corruption.

– The Southwest region is reportedly working on a specific agenda for the ongoing constitution review, which will be presented later.

Senate Leadership’s Stance:

– Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele assured that regionalism is not part of the ongoing constitution review, emphasising that changing the constitution requires political consensus and public buy-in.

Background

Nigeria operated a regional system of government from 1957 to 1967, during the country’s First Republic. The regional system was established by the 1957 Constitutional Conference, which divided Nigeria into three regions: the Northern, Eastern, and Western Regions. Later, in 1963, a fourth region—the Mid-Western region—was created. 

The regional system was abolished in 1967, when General Aguiyi Ironsi’s military government divided Nigeria into 12 states, marking the beginning of the country’s current state-based system.

Verification

Thus, to verify the authenticity of the claim that President Tinubu was behind the trending bill on Social Media, PRNigeria searched the internet and found that the idea of returning to regional government started floating in the public sphere around May 2024, following which the House of Representatives disowned a trending draft ‘bill’ on 31 May 2024. 

Dismissing the draft bill in a telephone conversation with a Punch correspondent at the time, House spokesman,  Akin Rotimi, said, “The Committees on Rules and Business and Constitution Review have confirmed that there is no such bill before them.”

Similarly, the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, told the same newspaper that the said bill is not before the committee.

He said, “There are two routes to making presentations for constitutional amendments. One is by members proposing an amendment bill during the plenary. The second is by memoranda from individuals and groups to the Constitution Review Committee.

“Please note that memoranda submitted should eventually come through bills sponsored by a committee member. On this specific memo (draft bill) under reference, I doubt if it has come before the Rules and Business Committee for listing. I speak as chairman of the committee.”

Notwithstanding the denial, the idea of a bill for regional government gained traction in early June, with many news media outlets reporting that President Bola Tinubu was set to receive the bill. This was reported here, here, here and many other reputable platforms between June 8 and 14, 2024.

However, after the buzz, there was no subsequent report to reveal that President Tinubu has officially received the bill as widely reported on national dallies. 

Findings by PRNigeria further revealed that the bill was the brainchild of one Dr Akin Fapohunda, a retired federal permanent secretary and prominent chieftain of the Afenifere, the Yoruba political and socio-cultural group.

For the second time, in June, the House of Representatives again disowned the bill and stated emphatically that the proposed legislation had not been presented for deliberation. 

When contacted, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and official Spokesperson to the President of the Senate, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, told PRNigeria that no such bill was on the floor of the national assembly as it was not a process of legislative actions that can be mired in privacy.

“It is not a process someone will just put inside the pocket, it can never be hidden,” Eyiboh, himself a former Spokesperson for the House of Representatives and  Chairman of its Committee on Media and Public Affairs said. 

He further told PRNigeria that such actions if at all, must go through established legislative processes. He maintained that some processes involved holding retreats by joint committees of the national assembly, examining the constitution, and engaging people such as state houses of assembly and civil society organisations, among others like the one in Kano.

“When an executive bill comes in, it must go through the legislative processes whether it’s a private sender or executive and when it comes to a serious issue like local government, State creation, Police, and other issues that bother around the constitution.

“I can authoritatively tell you that the Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has not received any bill for the return to regional government,” Eyiboh explained.

Conclusion: Findings by PRNigeria revealed that the document, which has been trending on social media, was drafted by one Dr Akin Fapohunda, who is neither a lawmaker in the Senate nor the House of Representatives. 

PRNigeria Factcheck concludes that the claim that President Bola Tinubu has submitted a legislative proposal to the National Assembly seeking to return the country to a regional government is Misleading and False.

By PRNigeria