Everything has a hierarchy or ranking, from your workplace to the church, and even Nigeria’s citizenship.
RECOMMENDED: What Are The Types of Citizenship in Nigeria?
According to the 1999 Nigerian constitution, the Federal Government of Nigeria comprises three distinct branches: Executive, Legislative and Judiciary.
The executive is the President, Governors, and Commissioners; the legislature is lawmakers at national and state levels; and the judiciary is the court.
The people that fill the slots are Nigeria’s top citizens.
Here are the five highest-ranking Nigerian citizens:
The President
The President is the first citizen in every country, including Nigeria.
He also occupies the highest position, The Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR), and the Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The president’s family is the first in the country.
Muhammadu Buhari is the current President of Nigeria.
The Vice President
The Vice President is the second citizen of Nigeria. He serves as the ‘substitute president’ in case the president enters a horrible predicament, like death.
Think of it like football players substituting in a match.
The Vice President’s title is the Grand Commander of Order of the Niger (GCON). Note that the same rules and regulations apply to the state level.
Prof. Yemi Osibanjo currently serves in this position.
Senate President
The Senate President, is number three in the hierarchy of Nigerian citizens. He is the head of the National Assembly and he presides over the Senate arm of government.
The 1999 constitution permits the Senate President to take over if the Vice President dies. But, if both the President and Vice-president are incapable of leading, the Senate President will step in temporarily.
The Senate has 109 members, 108 members are elected for four-year terms in 36 three-seat constituencies, which correspond to the country’s 36 states. One member is selected in the single-seat constituency of the federal capital.
Ahmed Lawan is the current Senate president.
Speaker of the House of Representatives
The speaker of the House of Representatives is the number four citizen in Nigeria. The speaker of the house presides over the lower chambers of the legislative arm of government, and his title is Office of the Order of the Niger (OON).
The House of Representatives (HoR) has 360 members elected for four years in single-seat constituencies. It is the larger of the two chambers that make up the National Assembly but is the lower-ranking of both.
Femi Gbajabiamila is the current speaker of the House.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) is the number five citizen in Nigeria. He presides over the Supreme Court and the National Judicial Council.
Interestingly, the Chief Justice cannot be sacked except by death, retirement or impeachment by the Senate.
You can be part of Zikoko Citizen’s cool community that talks about politics, governance and policies. Join the tribe here.
