By Sunny Anderson Osiebe...
The first reading of the
Bill for an Act to provide for the inauguration of the President and Vice
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, also known as Presidential
Inauguration Bill, 2016, was taken by the Senate in plenary, Tuesday.
The Bill, sponsored by
the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, seeks to move the
inauguration of the President and the Vice President from the Eagles Square to within
the precincts of the National Assembly, in tandem with international best
practices as obtained in the United States of America, USA, and many other democracies.
However, the 11-Section Bill
does not seek to preclude the Chief Justice of Nigeria from administering the Oath
of Office on the two foremost political leaders.
It provides for the
inauguration ceremony of the President-elect and the Vice President-elect to take
place at the Arcade of the National Assembly, where the people are represented.
It provides for the
setting up of a Presidential Inauguration Committee, which shall consist of a
serving Member of the National Assembly as Chairman, six members drawn from the
Legislature, two from the Executive, two from the Judiciary, and two from the
Civil Society.
No date has been fixed
for debate on the general principles of Bill and a possible Second Reading.
Section 7 provides for a Procession
with the President, while former Presidents, former Heads of State, former
Heads of Federal Government, former Vice Presidents, Former Senate Presidents,
former Speakers of the House of Representatives, and former Chief Justices of
the Federation, follow.
The Bill further provides
for the President-elect and Vice President-elect to be the last to come,
accompanied by their immediate families and also to be supported by their
spouses, serving President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives
at the point of swearing-in.
Although Nigeria’s
current democratic system is modeled after that of the USA, some practices such
as State of the Union Address and presidential inauguration practices are yet
to be integrated into the nation’s democratic practices.
A State of the Nation
Address Bill sponsored by Senator Ekweremadu and passed by the 7th National
Assembly was not accented to by the former President. However, it is expected
to form part of the ongoing constitution amendment effort.
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