The House of Representatives has rejected a bill that sought to amend the 1999 Constitution to establish a single six-year tenure for the President, state governors, and area council chairmen. The bill, sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere, the member representing the Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, along with 33 other lawmakers, was rejected during a plenary session on Thursday, November 21, 2024......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
The proposed bill aimed to amend key sections of the 1999 Constitution, including Sections 76, 116, 132, and 136. One of the key provisions of the bill was the establishment of a single six-year term for the President and governors, which Ugochinyere argued would reduce the financial and administrative costs associated with the current four-year election cycle.
“The general principles of the bill are to ensure inclusive governance and to curb wastages occasioned by four-year periodic elections,” the sponsor stated in his submission. He explained that the bill would help streamline governance and minimize electoral spending, while also addressing some of the challenges posed by frequent electoral cycles.
Additionally, the bill sought to implement a rotational system for the offices of the President and state governors. It proposed that the presidency should rotate between the North and South regions every six years, and that governorship should rotate among the three senatorial districts in each state. The intention behind this provision was to promote political inclusivity and ensure fair representation across the country.
Among the proposed constitutional amendments was a significant change to Section 132. The bill sought to insert a new subsection (2), which would mandate the rotation of the presidency between the North and South every six years, as well as make adjustments to other sections to address election timing. Specifically, Section 76 was to be amended to require that all elections for the offices of the President, Governors, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly be held simultaneously on the same date.
The bill also introduced a provision under Section 76 that would have allowed for a replacement of the President in the event of an election-related vacancy. It proposed that if the President-elect were unable to take office due to death or other reasons, the Vice President-elect would assume the presidency and appoint a new Vice President, subject to National Assembly approval.
Despite the proposed changes, the bill faced strong opposition in the House. When the bill was put to a voice vote by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the plenary session, the lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected the amendments. The outcome reflected a lack of support for the proposed changes among the members, who may have viewed the suggested reforms as too radical or unfeasible.
In response to the rejection, Speaker Abbas did not elaborate on the reasons for the decision, but the rejection highlighted the challenges of amending a constitution that has been a foundational part of Nigeria’s governance structure. The debate surrounding the bill was expected to spark further discussions about electoral reforms and the possibility of constitutional amendments in the future.
Supporters of the bill, including Ugochinyere, had hoped that the proposed amendments would foster greater stability in governance by reducing the frequency of elections. However, critics of the bill argued that the changes could undermine democratic processes by limiting political competition and consolidating power within certain regions or political groups.
