Reps block rotational presidency bill - reject 6 other reforms

The House of Representatives voted against a constitutional amendment bill on Tuesday, May 13, that would have introduced a rotational presidency across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The controversial proposal, along with six other amendment bills, failed to secure the required support during a plenary session presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

The rejected bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, aimed to constitutionally mandate the rotation of the President and Vice President's offices among the North Central, North East, North West, South East, South-South, and South West zones.

Advocates of the bill had hoped it would address long-standing concerns over regional marginalisation and foster national unity.

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“This bill was an attempt to ensure equity, fairness, and justice in our political process. No region should feel perpetually sidelined in the leadership of our country," said Hon. Benjamin Kalu during the session.

However, opposition to the bill was swift and decisive. When put to a voice vote, the majority of lawmakers voted against it, resulting in its failure to progress past the second reading.

The rotational presidency proposal was not the only bill to suffer defeat. Six other constitution alteration bills were also rejected in a bundled vote, sparking dissatisfaction among some lawmakers who argued that each bill should be voted on separately.

Among the rejected proposals was a bill to strip the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the power to register and regulate political parties. Instead, it proposed to transfer those powers to a newly created Office of the Registrar General of Political Parties. That bill, co-sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Francis E. Waive, also failed to advance.

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Other dismissed bills included proposals to:

• Establish and ensure the independence of State Auditors-General for Local Governments and the FCT Area Councils.

• Increase the minimum number of Federal High Court judges to 100.

• Expand the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to cover inland waterways and admiralty matters.

• Empower the National Judicial Council (NJC) to fix and review salaries and allowances for judicial officers. Create a new local government area, Ughelli East, in Delta State.

Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, who sponsored four of the seven rejected bills, expressed frustration at the group vote approach.

“Each of these bills deals with vital aspects of governance and justice. Bundling them together for a single vote undermines the individual merit of each proposal,” he lamented.

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Following the vote, the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business appealed for the bills to be reconsidered individually.

However, attempts at separate voting were unsuccessful before the session ended. Sources within the chamber indicated that the bills may be revisited on Wednesday, giving lawmakers a chance to debate and vote on each measure independently.

For now, however, the rejection marks a significant setback for constitutional reform efforts to restructure aspects of Nigeria’s political and judicial systems.