Rotational Presidency, 6-year single tenure bill for President, Gov, rejected by the House of Reps to be reintroduced
Ikenga Ugochinyere, the lead sponsor of the constitutional amendment bill proposing a six-year single tenure for the president and governors, has announced plans to reintroduce the bill after it was rejected by the House during plenary on Thursday.
The bill, which aimed to amend the Constitution, not only called for a six-year single tenure but also proposed holding all elections on a single day and instituting a rotational presidency between the North and South, as well as across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
Despite the bill being dismissed during its second reading on Thursday, which prevented the sponsors from presenting their case for the bill’s general principles, Ugochinyere and other supporters remain optimistic.
They expressed confidence that the rejection would not deter their efforts, committing to further consultations and discussions before reintroducing the bill at a future date.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Ugochinyere emphasized that the rejection on the House floor does not signal the end of their campaign, reaffirming that they are determined to see their objectives realised.
He said: “The struggle to reform our constitutional democracy to be all inclusive and provide Avenue for justice, equity and fairness has not been lost.
“The decision on the floor of the House not to allow the bill for 6 year single tenure for presidency/governorship and for power to rotate between north and south, all elections to hold in one day, not to scale 2nd reading does not put an end to agitation and hope that we will realize this objective.
“This is a temporary set back which does not affect the campaign for all inclusive democratic process. We are going to review these decision and find possible ways of reintroducing it after following due legislative procedures.
“All I can tell Nigerians is that we will continue the advocacy and convince our colleagues to see reason with us. If elections are held in one day, it will reduce cost, reduce rigging.
“If power rotates, it will help de-escalate political tensions and six year single term will go a long way in helping elective leaders focus on delivering their democratic mandate. All hope is not lost, we will continue the advocacy and we hope that when reintroduced our colleagues will support it.”
