The second reading of a bill seeking for rotation of offices of President and Vice President among the six regions in Nigeria has been rejected along side other constitution alteration bills
The House of Representatives on Tuesday witnessed heated debate and division over a constitutional amendment bill proposing the rotation of the offices of the President and Vice President among Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Cap. C23, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Provide for the Principle of Rotation of the Offices of the President and the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria among the Six Geopolitical Zones of the Country, Namely: North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, and South West, and for Related Matters (HB. 2291)”, was sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu (APC Abia).
According to the bill, once a particular region produces the president, it would retain the position for eight years before rotating to another zone.
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The Deputy Speaker had asked House Leader, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere (APC Edo), to step down House rules to allow all seven constitution amendment bills, including the one on rotation, to be debated together.
Mixed Reactions Trail Rotation Bill
During debate, Rep. Sani Madaki (NNPP Kano), opposed the bill, arguing that competence, not geography, should be the basis for choosing leaders. He also noted that zoning arrangements already exist informally within political parties, and that the Federal Character Commission (FCC) addresses the issue of regional representation.
“In Nigeria, we talk about competence when hiring people,” he said. “This matter is already well covered by our Constitution. There is no need to enshrine zoning in the Constitution.”
However, Minority Whip Rep. Ali Isa JC (PDP Gombe), supported the bill, arguing it would promote inclusivity and give all zones a fair shot at leadership. He even advocated extending the rotation principle to state-level leadership.
“I believe every zone of the country has people with capacity—people that can govern not only this country but even the ECOWAS countries. I believe all the zones should be given fair treatment so that they can feel that they belong to this country,” he said.
Rep. Sada Soli (APC Katsina), while acknowledging the bill as a bold proposal, warned that it could prove detrimental to national cohesion. He raised concerns that zoning could undermine meritocracy.
“If we introduce the system of rotating the presidency of this country to reflect the six geopolitical zones, disregarding the personalities that we have in this country and narrowing it to the interest of geopolitical zones, it will be very injurious, the system will encourage ethical and regional affiliation over merit,” Rep. Soli cautioned.
He continued, “Look how diverse this country is, the quality of people we have in this country in all facets of human endeavour. If that geopolitical zone has its own shot, the next one will take about 48 years regardless of the quality people we have in that zone. This country will lose out on the opportunity of bringing people that will render public service for this country just because of regional affiliation.”
Soli added that the proposal could lead to political manipulation and regional rivalry. “We know how the elite can manipulate power in order to enhance their chances of ruling over the people,” he warned. “The most dangerous thing this system will encourage is regional rivalry and that will negate the principle of unity that all of us are fighting for.”
Bills Rejected, to be re-presented
When the Deputy Speaker eventually put the question on the floor, the seven bills — including the one on rotation — were rejected collectively.
This led to a protest by the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Francis Waive (APC Delta), who called for the rejection to be rescinded. He demanded that the bills be re-listed for individual consideration rather than being lumped together.
The rejected bills are expected to be presented again on the Order Paper on for possible rescission during Wednesday’s plenary.
