House of Representatives Rejects Bill on Rotational Presidency Among Geopolitical Zones
The House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a constitutional amendment bill proposing the rotation of the presidency and vice presidency among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Alongside this, six other constitutional alteration bills listed on the House’s order paper were also turned down.
The House, however, resolved to revisit the bills on Wednesday for consideration based on their individual merits. At the start of the debate, the House suspended its rules to allow simultaneous discussion of the seven constitutional bills, enabling members to focus on any of the listed proposals.
The rotational presidency bill sparked intense debate, with many lawmakers opposing it as a potential trigger for regional and ethnic rivalry. Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Madaki led the opposition, arguing that the Federal Character Commission already addresses representation issues and that rotation should remain outside the constitution. He noted that political parties have mechanisms to ensure fair office allocation during elections.
Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) questioned whether the rotation would compromise quality leadership, warning that it could exacerbate regional tensions. Shina Oyedeji (PDP, Oyo) expressed concerns that zoning would spark further agitation for fairness within zones, citing potential disputes over which state would represent a zone like the South West. Bello Mohammed El-Rufai raised issues about succession in cases like the death of a president, referencing the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and argued that rotation could infringe on Nigerians’ rights to contest for office.
Olumide Osoba (APC, Ogun) cautioned against forcing political parties to select candidates based on zoning, while Minority Whip Ali Isa supported rotation, suggesting it be extended to governorships across senatorial zones for fairness. He advocated for the North East to produce the president in 2027. Clement Jimbo (APC, Akwa Ibom) backed the bill as a remedy for historical injustices against minority groups but proposed ending the rotation after all zones had their turn.
Despite the heated debate, the rotational presidency bill and other constitutional amendments failed to pass the second reading following a voice vote. Other rejected bills included proposals to transfer political party regulation from the Independent National Electoral Commission to a Registrar General, establish independent State Auditors-General for local governments, and create Ughelli East Local Government Area in Delta State.
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