Just in: Reps reject bill for six-year single tenure for president, governors

The House of Representatives rejected a constitutional amendment bill on Thursday seeking a single six-year term for the offices of President, State Governors, and Local Government Areas Chairmen.

Persecondnews gathered that the bill, which proposed zonal rotation of presidential and governorship seats, as well as holding all elections in one day, was sponsored by Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP-Imo) and 33 other lawmakers.

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

According to the general principles of the bill, these amendments were to ensure inclusive governance and to curb wastages occasioned by four-year periodic elections.

“The bill, among others, 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 the South regions of the country every six years.

“Other amendments include Section 76 of the Principal Act, which is altered by inserting a new subsection (3) as follows: (3) For the purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.

“Section 116 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting a new subsection (3) as follows: For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and Local Government Councils shall be held simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.

“Section 132 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting a new subsection (2), deleting the extant subsection (4), and renumbering the entire section accordingly: 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. 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 geopolitical zones that constitute the regions. The extant subsection (2) becomes subsection (3). The extant subsection (3) becomes subsection (4). The extant subsection (4) is hereby deleted. The extant subsection (5) remains subsection (5).

“Section 136 of the Principal Act is amended by deleting the extant subsections 1 & 2 and replacing them with new subsections 1, 2, and 3 as follows: If a person duly elected as President dies before taking and subscribing 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 by a simple majority of the National Assembly at a joint sitting.

“A person who was 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. The Principal Act is altered by inserting a new Section 188 immediately after the extant 187 and immediately before the extant 188 and renumbering accordingly as follows: 188(1) Notwithstanding any other provision, the Governor shall present a mid-term account of the stewardship performance report to the State House of Assembly at the end of the third year of the six-year term. The State House of Assembly shall determine by a resolution supported by not less than a two-thirds majority of members whether the Governor, based on the account of the stewardship report, justified his continuous stay in office.
Where, upon the consideration of the mid-term report under subsection (1) of this section, the State House of Assembly is not satisfied with the performance of the Governor for the period he has been in office, the State House of Assembly shall pass a vote of no confidence on the Governor. The State House of Assembly shall immediately commence the process for the impeachment of the Governor from office.”

Persecondnews reports that the bill was rejected after the Speaker put it to a voice vote during Thursday’s plenary,
with the “Nays” outnumbering the “Ayes”.