By Nathaniel Zacchaeus Abuja
The Senate announced yesterday that it is proposing a bill to designate the National Assembly as the venue for the swearing-in of the elected President of Nigeria.
The Red Chamber also stated that the proposed bill would make it mandatory for the President to address Nigerians on June 12 of every year, marking Democracy Day.
The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, gave a hint yesterday while addressing journalists at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja.
He spoke ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s address to the joint session of both the Senate and the House of Representatives at the National Assembly on Thursday, June 12.
Bamidele stated that the Senate was working on legislation to institutionalise the event.
Tinubu had, earlier in 2024, attended a joint session of the National Assembly on June 12 for an official rendition of the current National Anthem without addressing the lawmakers.
However, on Thursday of this week, the President will be with the federal lawmakers, totalling 460, for another special joint session, where he will deliver an official address.
As a way of sustaining the novel idea, the Leader said that the Senate will soon introduce legislation to institutionalise it.
Bamidele said, “We are hoping to bring a bill soon to institutionalise the President’s address on June 12 because of its historical importance.
“There can’t be a better time to address the nation through the parliament than on June 12, especially since it is a joint sitting of the National Assembly.”
He further revealed that the proposed legislation would also seek to designate the National Assembly complex as the venue for future presidential swearing-in ceremonies.
He said, “We are hoping in that bill, to ensure that the swearing-in ceremony of the next President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria, whom we believe is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be held within the arcade of the National Assembly.”
He added that the Senate is considering an extension of the implementation period for the 2024 budget, particularly its capital expenditure component, as he had previously hinted. Before the end of the third legislative year, the constitutional amendment process is expected to be completed.
