Some Nigerian legislators on Friday, August 19, 2016, took time to react to a recent comment credited to former military head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, in which he said he would prefer a part time legislature for Nigeria.

Nigeria currently runs the a full time legislature in the 36 states of the federation as well as at the National Assembly. The country also operates a bicameral legislature at the national level and this is broken into the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Speaking with journalists as he clocked 75, Babangida said: “In 1989, we proposed that the National Assembly should be made part time and I still believe if I have the opportunity, I will make it part time.

“I strongly believe in it and it is all in the effort to reduce the high cost of governance‎ and I know I may be in trouble for suggesting part time legislature.”

The trouble he is expecting as a result of the comment comes from both serving and past members of the Lagos state House of Assembly, some of whom reminded him of how he destroyed the country and the dream of democracy.


While some gave reasons why they think Nigeria was not ripe for part time legislature, others said he asked him to keep shut because he is not the right person to speak on the country’s democracy while reminding him of some things he failed to do when he had the opportunity.

Read the reactions: on http://news.naijaobserver.com/view/6944/nigerian-legislators-reply-babangida-remind-him-of-history