Rep Proposes Bill To Prevent N’West, S’West, S’South From Presidential In 2027

Representative suggests legislation to prevent the South, North, and West from competing in the presidential election

A bill is currently being considered that would prohibit candidates from the North-West, South-West, and South-South regions from running for the presidency of Nigeria in the future until after other regions have had their turn.

House of Representatives member Ojema Ojotu is putting forth a bill that would incorporate power rotation for all elections into the constitution.

Ojotu represents the Apa/Agatu federal constituency in Benue state as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Sections 133, 179, 48, and 49 of the constitution would be amended by the bill, which has not yet been scheduled for first reading, to rotate the presidency among the six geopolitical zones, with a maximum of two terms for each state.

The goal of the proposed law is to keep the geopolitical zones that have produced presidents since May 1999 from doing so until all other zones have had a chance to do so. Since 1999, there have been no presidents from the geopolitical zones of the north-east, north-central, or south-east.

In addition, the draft bill aims to rotate senatorial elections among all federal constituencies within a senatorial zone and the governor's office among a state's three senatorial zones. Additionally, until all LGAs within the federal constituency have had their turn, it aims to forbid an LGA from producing a member of the house of representatives for a second time.

“(2) The office of the President of Nigeria shall revolve around the six Geopolitical 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,” the bill proposes to add subsections 2, 3, and 4 to section 133.

“(3) 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.

“(4) 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.

Subsections 6 and 7 is being proposed to amend section 179 to read as follows; “(6) The office of the Governor of a State in Nigeria shall revolve round all the three Senatorial Zones in the State, to give every indigene of the State a sense of inclusion, participation and representation in the development of the State. “(7) every Senatorial Zone in a State which has produced Governor of that State in a democratically conducted election shall not be eligible to produce a Governor, unless and until other Senatorial Zones produce Governors of the State.

The amendment to section 48 is to add subsections (1) (a) (b) to read thus; “(1) (a) Senatorial election shall rotate round all the Federal Constituencies in the Senatorial Zone to give a sense of inclusion, participation and representation in the Constituencies to engineer social progress and development. “(b) every Federal Constituency in a Senatorial District which has produced a Senator shall not be eligible to produce a Senator, unless and until all other Federal Constituencies produce a Senator.