The House of Representatives is proposing to make it compulsory for every sitting President to address Nigerians on the state of the nation.
The president would also address a joint session of the National Assembly periodically, while the federal parliament could summon him if he failed to come forward to address lawmakers as and when due.
If the bill eventually becomes law, it would be mandatory for President Muhammadu Buhari and successive presidents to address both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
This is being proposed in the State of the Nation Address Bill2020, which was sponsored by the lawmaker representing Ethiope-East/Ethiope-West Federal Constituency in Delta State, Mr Ben Igbakpa, a member of the People’s Democratic Party.
The bill is, however, silent on what happens where the president also shuns the summons by the National Assembly.
The House had on March 16, 2021, passed for second reading, a similar bill seeking to amend the Constitution with a new provision to compel a sitting president to appear before the National Assembly whenever he or she is summoned by the parliament.
Sponsor of the bill, Sergius Ogun, had noted that the bill was borne out of the refusal by Buhari to appear before the National Assembly last year.
