May 29 na di day new goment dey take over power for Nigeria.
E dey start with di swearing in of di executive arm of goment wey be di president and govnors of di states as dem go take oath of office wey di Chief Justice of di federation go administer on di president and im vice.
Section 64(3) of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) say,
“Di pesin wey dey elected as President go get di power to issue proclamation for di holding of di first joint session of di National Assembly immediately- di Senate and House of Representatives – after dem swear am in.”
E mean say after dia inauguration, di executive arm go give official proclamation for di legislative arm to begin work. Dis dey normally happen on di next Tuesday after dia inauguration as legislatures dey normally begin seat on Tuesdays of di week.
Why e be say say even though di president and govnors don take oath of office and don begin work, di lawmakers from di previous goment for state and national still dey work?
“Dis answer na becos dia tenure never end.”
Na so one member of di 9th Assembly, Ade Adeogun explain to BBC Pidgin.
E say di tenure of di present Assembly go end one day before di inauguration of di 10th Assembly.
Adeogun wey be di member wey dey represent Akoko South-East/ Akoko South-West Federal constituency for Ondo state add say,
“Dem bin inuagurate di 9th Assembly on 11 June, 2019 and inauguration dey normally take place on a Tuesday wey be di tradition, so you no go fit inaugurate anoda Assembly until di tenure of di 9th Assembly expire. So na matter of di tenure.” E tok.
Kingdom Chukwuezie, a lawyer for Rivers statem observe say di reason wey make President and National Assembly members no dey start work di same time date back to 1999 wen Nigeria begin democratic rule.
E say di time wen di den President Olusegun Obasanjo proclaim di National Assembly naim mark di beginning of dia tenure and so all oda Proclamations dey follow dat pattern to mark wen di Assembly four year tenure go end so as to determine di beginning of di new Assembly.
Di tenure of di 9th Assembly go end on Sunday 11 June, but becos 12 June na public holiday being Democracy day, di inauguration dey expected to hold on 13 June, wen di president go make di official proclamation of di 10th Assembly.
Already, di battle for who go be di leaders for di Senate and House of Representatives don begin.
Di 109 senators and 360 House of Reps members from six geopolitical zones go gather to pick dia leaders for di next four years.
Wetin be Proclamation of Parliament?
Proclamation of di Aseembly na di official declaration wey dey mark di opening of Parliamentary arm of goment for di members to begin work.
Oga Chukwuezie, say Section 64 of di 1999 Constitution (as amended) provide say di lifespan of di National Assembly na four years wey start from di date dem start sitting.
“Dis mean say di tenure of di Assembly go expire after four years of dia duration starting from di first day e dey constituted.
Section 64(3) provide say di President of di Federal Republic of Nigeria as e assume office, gey di power to issue a Proclamation wey go state di date wey di newly elected members of Parliament go begin sitting to start dia work.”
Chukwuezie say di President as e dey do dis Proclamation go take into account di time wey di tenure of di old or outgoing Parliament go expire and use am determine wen di new Parliament go begin.
Govnors dey do di same for State House of Assembly.
Old Assembly get right to give approval for di new administration?
Ade Adeogun add say so far as dia tenure still dey exist, di lawmakers get power to work and di decisions dem take dey binding until di end of dia tenure.
Dis dey come up becos for some states like Rivers state for southern Nigeria, di 9th Assembly naim screen and approve some political appointees for di new administration for di state and pipo come dey wonder why e be so.
Adeogun say, “Di question be: di current Assembly still get di mandate to perform dia functions until di end of dia tenure? Di answer na yes.
So if dem still get dat power to perform parliamentary functions, den e mean say evri parliamentary function wey dey required for dem to perform dey allowed until di end of dia tenure.
So for di one week wey dem still get, dem go still function becos you no go fit get one arm of goment without di oda.” E tok.
Why Parliament dey important?
Chukwuezie say evri goment dey get part wey dey work togeda to make am whole.
Di Executive arm naim President and Governors dey and di legislature naim di Parliament or Assembly members dey then di judiciary.
E say each part dey to act as check and balance to each oda so dem no go do pass dia power.
Di Parliament dey empowered to make laws, screen and approve pipo wey go work for di goment to make sure say na di right pesins dey to do di work.
Dem also get oversight functions too and if di Executive commit wetin di constitution say na impeachable offense, dem dem go begin di process for impeachment.” E tok.
