Lawmakers Reject 6-year Single Term Bill

Nigerian lawmakers in the House of Representatives have rejected a bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide for a single six-year term for the offices of the president, state governors, and local government area chairmen.

Sponsored by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) and 33 others, the bill also proposes a zonal rotation of presidential and governorship seats and holding elections in one day.

The proposed legislation seeks to alter Sections 76, 116, 132, 136, and others of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The bill’s general principles suggested that “these amendments were to ensure inclusive governance and curb wastages occasioned by four-year periodic elections.

According to a legislative document obtained by journalists, “the bill, among other things, seeks amendment of Section 132 of the Principal Act by inserting a new subsection (2), deleting the extant subsection (4) and renumbering the entire section accordingly to provide that an election to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be rotated between the North and South regions of the country every six years.

Other amendments include Section 76 of the Principal Act, which wants all elections into the offices of president, governors, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to be held simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and by the Electoral Act.

Section 116 of the Principal Act recommended that all elections into the offices of president, governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and Local Government Councils be held simultaneously on the same date, to be determined by INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly and by the Electoral Act.

Section 132 of the Principal Act was amended to provide that election to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be rotated between the North and the South regions of the country every six years.

It provided that where it is the turn of the North or South to present a candidate for election into the office of president, it shall be rotated among the three geo-political zones that constitute the regions.

The bill also provides that if a person duly elected as President dies before taking and subscribing to the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office or is for any reason whatsoever unable to be sworn in, the person elected with him as First Vice President shall be sworn in as President, and he shall appoint a new First Vice President with the approval of a simple majority of the National Assembly at a joint sitting.”

The bill also recommends that a person sworn in as governor to complete the term for which another person was elected as governor shall not be elected to such office for another term.

It also proposes that the governor shall present a mid-term account of stewardship performance report to the State House of Assembly at the end of the third year of the six-year term, which shall determine by a resolution, supported by at least two-thirds majority of members, whether the governor had justified his continuous stay in office.

According to the bill, if State House of Assembly lawmakers are not satisfied with the governor’s performance during his term, they will pass a vote of no confidence in him and immediately commence impeachment proceedings.

However, when put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over the plenary session, the bill was rejected as the nay voices prevailed.