The House of Representatives on Tuesday, rejected a proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution that would have introduced rotational presidency. This is a system for the offices of the president and vice president across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The bill, put forward by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, sought to make it mandatory for these top offices to rotate among the North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, and South West zones.
The proposed law was among seven constitution amendment bills listed for a second reading during the day’s plenary session.
When the House Leader read the titles of the bills, the Deputy Speaker, who presided over the sitting, invited lawmakers to present their views.
During the discussion, Rep Aliyu Madaki from Kano opposed the proposal. He argued that the current constitution already addresses inclusivity through the federal character principle.
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He believed that political parties should be allowed to decide on zoning without turning it into a constitutional rule.
Rep Ali Isah from Gombe disagreed with that view, saying that writing the rotational presidency into the constitution would give all regions a fair chance and a greater sense of inclusion in the country’s leadership.
Opposition and support of rotational presidency bill
Rep Sada Soli from Katsina also opposed the bill. He warned that putting rotational presidency into the constitution could hurt national unity.
He explained that it might reduce the chances of the most capable candidates and stir up ethnic or regional rivalry.
In response, Deputy Speaker Kalu defended the bill, saying that all regions in the country have capable individuals who can lead.
He explained that the bill was aimed at giving every part of Nigeria the opportunity to lead and contribute to national development.
Other lawmakers such as Rep Shina Oyedeji and Rep Bello El-Rufai also rejected the bill.
They stressed that democracy should encourage open competition where everyone, regardless of region, can run for office.
They feared that making rotation a law could lead to division and limit choices based on where candidates come from.
After a series of arguments for and against the bill, the Deputy Speaker called for a voice vote.
The majority of lawmakers shouted “nay,” and the bill was rejected.
