The House of Representatives, during its plenary on Thursday, rejected a proposed bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide a single six-year term for the offices of the President, State Governors, and Local Government Area Chairmen.
Sponsored by Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP-Imo) alongside 33 other lawmakers, the bill also sought to mandate zonal rotation of presidential and governorship positions, as well as holding all elections on a single day.
The proposed legislation aimed to amend key sections of the 1999 Constitution, including Sections 76, 116, 132, and 136, among others. According to the bill’s general principles, the amendments were designed “to ensure inclusive governance and to curb wastages occasioned by four-year periodic elections.”
The bill proposed that elections for the office of the President should alternate between the North and South every six years, with further rotation among the geopolitical zones within each region. “An 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,” the bill stated.
It also recommended that all elections into the offices of the President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and Local Government Councils be conducted simultaneously on a single date, determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly and in line with the Electoral Act.
Additionally, the bill sought to mandate governors to present a mid-term performance report to their respective State Houses of Assembly at the end of their third year in office. Where the performance is deemed unsatisfactory, the assembly could initiate impeachment proceedings.
The Speaker of the House, who presided over the plenary, put the bill to a voice vote. The majority of lawmakers voted against it, and the “nays” carried the day.
