Lawmakers urge Tinubu to limit Ministers to 37

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review is considering a proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution to limit the number of ministers the president can appoint to a maximum of 37.

The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Streamline the Number of Ministers to be Appointed to the Federal Executive Council,” is being reviewed by the committee chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.

According to reports, the bill is sponsored by representatives from the Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency in Bauchi State and the Kaga/Gubio/Magumeri Federal Constituency in Borno State.

The amendment seeks to modify Section 147 (1) of the Constitution to specify, “There shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation, not exceeding 37, as may be established by the President.”

Currently, President Bola Tinubu’s Federal Executive Council includes 45 ministers, comprising both substantive ministers and Ministers of State.

Traditionally, Nigerian presidents appoint one minister from each of the 36 states, with additional appointments made based on various considerations during cabinet formation.

“The bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to specify the maximum number of ministers to be appointed to the Federal Executive Council to address duplication of duties, minimise the cost of governance, and enhance efficiency to service at the federal level,” the Bauchi lawmaker, Mansur Soro said during an interview with The PUNCH.

“We need to reduce the cost of governance and address inequality in the number of ministers to be appointed from each state and cases of overlapping mandates of ministers. In my opinion, a minister per state is enough while also considering the Federal Capital Territory,” he added.

A lawmaker from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has opposed the idea that the president can appoint more than two ministers from a single state to accommodate technocrats.

The legislator argued that the president has numerous other government agencies and ministerial parastatals available for appointing technocrats or politicians. Highlighting the imbalance, the lawmaker noted that Ogun State currently has four ministers, while most states are limited to just one, questioning the fairness of such an arrangement.

Meanwhile, a committee chaired by Kalu is reviewing a proposed bill to amend Section 62 of the Constitution. The amendment seeks to enforce the federal character principle in selecting principal officers of the National Assembly.