Kehinde Fajobi
A bill requiring the president to attach portfolios to ministerial nominations has successfully passed its second reading in the House of Representatives.
This legislation also mandates state governors to include portfolios in their lists of commissioner nominees.
Sponsored by Eugene Dibiagwu (APC, Imo), the proposed constitutional amendment aims to revise sections 147 and 192 of Nigeria’s constitution.
Historically, both presidents and governors have submitted nominee lists for screening without specifying the corresponding portfolios, leading to assumptions by legislators during questioning.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari faced backlash for his practice of not attaching portfolios to his ministerial lists, a trend that President Bola Tinubu initially continued.
Advisers to Tinubu argued that avoiding portfolio attachments would allow the president the flexibility to reshuffle his cabinet without requiring fresh confirmation from the National Assembly.
Despite this, President Tinubu recently attached portfolios to the seven ministerial nominees he sent to the Senate for screening.
In leading the debate, Mr. Dibiagwu stated that submitting a ministerial list without accompanying portfolios is an outdated practice.
He expressed confidence that the bill would enhance the screening process.
Dibiagwu noted, “Over time, the practice of sending only the list of nominees through official correspondence, without the inclusion of portfolios by the President and state governors to the legislative house, has come to be seen as outdated and old-fashioned, with adverse effects on governance.”
Supporting the bill, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda echoed Dibiagwu’s sentiments, asserting that it would aid the Senate in its responsibilities.
“If you are proposed to the Senate as the nominated Minister for Health, you will be asked direct questions relevant to your ministry’s policies,” he explained.
However, Chinda cautioned that requiring portfolios might complicate the president’s ability to reorganise the cabinet, as this would necessitate resubmitting ministers for fresh confirmation.
“One issue we also need to consider is that if you appoint ministers to your cabinet and later need to reassign them among ministries, the implication is that you must bring them for screening a second time,” he added.
After the debate, Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu, who presided over the session, put the bill to a vote, resulting in unanimous support.
The bill has since been referred to the House Committee on Constitution Review for further legislative action.