Federal House of Representatives has moved a Bill to rotate Presidential slot stopping some regions like North-West, South-West, and South-South from contest. This is on the basis of law that provides rotational slot of presidential position across the zones in Nigeria.
9News Nigeria reports that as year 2027 turns to be another presidential election in Nigeria, a proposed bill is being debated before the House aims to rotate the presidency among the country’s six geo-political zones, preventing regions that have previously produced a president since 1999 from presenting candidates, promoting inclusion and representation.
The Bill aims to prevent candidates from the North-West, South-West, and South-South regions from running in the presidential election.
If the current efforts to change certain sections of the 1999 Constitution are successful, it is possible that the North-West, South-West, and South-South regions of the country may not present a candidate for the presidential election in 2027.
Currently, a proposed bill titled “An Act to modify the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria to introduce a system of power rotation among various geographic and political divisions in presidential, governorship, and senatorial elections” has been submitted to the House of Representatives Committee for consideration as part of the Constitution Review process.
Proposed by Ojema Ojetu, a member representing Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency in Benue State, the legislation aims to restrict regions that have previously had a President of Nigeria since the country transitioned to democracy in 1999 from producing future Presidents if the bill is approved.
The proposed bill aims to amend Section 133 of the constitution by incorporating additional sub-sections 2, 3, and 4 into the existing national laws.
“The Office of the President of Nigeria shall revolve round the six geo- political zones, with each state holding the office for a maximum of two terms of four years each, to give every section and state in Nigeria a sense of inclusion, participation and representation in Nigeria’s democracy.”
“Any zone in Nigeria which has produced a President of the Federal Republic shall not be eligible to produce another President until the other zones take their turns, while (4) says, “The effective date for consideration in the rotation of power shall be 29th of May, 1999 when the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) became effective.”
This bill moved by the Federal House of representatives is targetted at rotating Presidential slot and to stop North-West, South-West, and South-South regions from further contest until other regions fill in and take their turns.
From our observation, it seems the bill is likely going to face a cog in the wheel of it’s passage but hopefully, the majority will see good reason to adopt and implement it without further delay otherwise Nigeria will be termed as not practicing an all inclusive pattern of government. The rotation is key to a democratic setting like Nigeria’s.
-Princely Onyenwe reporting
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