Everything has a hierarchy or ranking, from your workplace to the church. And even Nigeria’s citizenship is not left out.
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According to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, the Federal Government of Nigeria comprises three distinct branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
The executive is the President, Governors, and Commissioners; the legislature is lawmakers at the national and state levels; and the judiciary is the court.
The people selected to fill these seats are considered Nigeria’s top citizens.
Here are the five highest-ranking Nigerian citizens:
The President
The President serves as the first citizen in every country, and Nigeria isn’t left out.
He also occupies the highest position, The Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR), as well as the Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The president’s family is regarded as the first in the country.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu 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-elect is incapacitated or, in a worst-case scenario, dead.
Think of it like football players substituting in a match.
The Vice President’s title is Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). Note that the same rules and regulations apply at the state level.
Kashim Shettima 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 is incapacitated or deceased. If, for some reason, both the President and Vice-president are incapable of leading, the Senate President will step in temporarily.
The Senate has 109 members, of whom 108 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.
Godswill Akpabio 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. The HoR is the larger of the two chambers that make up the National Assembly but is the lower-ranking of both.
Tajudeen Abbas 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 can never be removed from power except by death, retirement or impeachment by the Senate.
Deputy Senate President of Nigeria
The Deputy Senate President is the sixth most important citizen in Nigeria. He is also the second most important person in the Nigerian Senate. He serves in the absence of the Senate President. The Deputy Senate President is usually chosen through an indirect vote.
Jibrin Barau is the current Deputy Senate President of Nigeria.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
Benjamin Kalu is the Deputy Speaker and the second most important personality in the House of Representatives.
He serves as the Speaker of the House of Representatives when absent. He is chosen by the majority of the House in an indirect election.
Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Nigeria
Two hats are worn in this position: the minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Nigeria. He provides legal advice to the federal government, defends Nigeria in court, and defends Nigerian citizens from arbitrary executive actions.
The current Attorney-General of Nigeria and Minister of Justice is Abubakar Malami. He will remain in office until July 28, when Tinubu will announce his cabinet.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation
He is in charge of directing the agreement and execution of federal policy, as well as coordinating federal ministries, departments, and agencies. George Akume currently holds the position.
Head of the Civil Service of Nigeria
This is the person who manages the workforce of the Federal Civil Service to guarantee their commitment, focus, and discipline in assisting the Federal Government in carrying out policies and programmes.
Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan is the current Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
National Security Adviser
As the name suggests, this person has a direct line of communication with the President, advising him on all matters relating to national security. Examples of these matters include advising the president on solutions regarding the intelligence activities of terrorist networks.
The National Security Adviser serves as a national representative on such issues in the Federal Executive Council, National Security Council, and Presidency.
Nuhu Ribadu currently holds the position.
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