House passes bill to return Nigeria to parliamentary system, considers citizenship for foreign spouses
Published: 27/Mar/2025
Source: The Vanguard (Abuja)
By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed for second reading a bill seeking to return Nigeria to a parliamentary system of government.
The bill is among 31 constitutional amendment bills that scaled second reading during plenary, presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
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Meanwhile, the House is also considering an amendment to confer citizenship on foreigners married to Nigerian women.
The bill, sponsored by Akin Alabi (APC, Egbeda/Ona Ara, Oyo State), passed a second reading on Thursday.
The proposed amendment seeks to alter Section 26 of the 1999 Constitution, which governs citizenship by registration.
Currently, Section 26(1) allows a person to be registered as a Nigerian citizen if the President is satisfied that they: Are of good character, Have demonstrated clear intent to reside in Nigeria, and Have taken the oath of allegiance.
However, Section 26(2)(a) restricts this provision to women married to Nigerian men, effectively excluding foreign men married to Nigerian women from acquiring citizenship through marriage.
The new bill seeks to address this gender imbalance, ensuring equal rights for Nigerian women in conferring citizenship to their foreign spouses.